Spreading the theory in the lusophone world: contributions of Jorge Vala's Chapter to the Brazilian developments of Social Representations
Résumé
The theory of social representations has seen a significant evolution and dissemination throughout Brazil. This development has not been without practical implications outside academia, and its particular effects can be observed in social and political spheres as well. It is within this context, one of introduction and expansion of the theory in Brazil, that we address the significance of Jorge Vala’s chapters. Published in two different editions of the ‘Manual de Psicologia Social’ (Vala & Monteiro, 1993/2000), the Portuguese Social Psychology handbook, Vala’s chapters present an account of social representations both rigorous and unifying, drawing parallels between the theory and other approaches. The particular chapters and their contribution to Portuguese-speaking social psychologists in Brazil will be discussed.