Proceedings of the 8th World Conference on Qualitative Research

The development of a methodology, within the framework of a scientific investigation, presupposes a good knowledge of the field. In the particular case of Social Sciences and Humanities, in which this communication proposal is located, unlike Applied Sciences, the use of a single methodology is not very frequent, but of composite methodologies.
In complex problems and data – where the digital trail is scarce, so it is necessary to consult primary sources -, interpretive hermeneutics proves to be a good proposal to follow. It presupposes exhaustive readings and comparisons and the development of new theories eventually from the resulting tools, in addition to summoning other types of interpretations of the world, with the help, for example, of other qualitative methodologies.
Post-colonialism, despite having its shortcomings, constituted a moment to pulverize categories previously considered canonical. The decolonization of knowledge made it possible to take steps forward in research, despite destabilizing the social world, assenting to logics that were thought to be reified. Social world was never reified, so the paradigm of questioning knowledge had to change.
“Portugality” is presented a s a practical case of an investigation fundamentally based on hermeneutics. As a conclusion, is established as being an essentialism of the Portuguese dictatorial regime (Estado Novo), coined in the 50s/60s of the 20th century, with a view to underlining that Portugal was a single and indivisible country, ranged from itself to East Timor, embodied in the slogans that “Portugal is not a small country” / “Portugal from Minho to Timor”, in vogue at the time. The idea was to demonstrate to the UN that the overseas provinces/colonies were part of the alleged “historic destiny” of the country, at a time when independence movements were emerging in the former colonies and the colonial/liberation war was raging.