Field of study: History, Politics and Cultural Heritage:

The field of study consists in the area of intellectual investment in which CPDOC has been focusing. It includes the main topics addressed in the Professional Doctoral Program: politics and culture connected with the Brazilian history and reality. Both from the point of view of cultural goods and social projects, the political and historical dimension are present both in the theoretical references and in the analytical perspectives underlying the projects developed in the course.

In 2019, the PPHPBC Board redesigned the research areas of the Program to make them more coherent and consistent with the faculty.

Research areas:

• I. CULTURAL GOODS: The processes of production and reflection on cultural goods characterize the history of CPDOC, since its origin. In this research area, investigations of the concepts of heritage, material and immaterial culture, tradition and representation are addressed through different approaches and languages. The themes range from the Brazilian social thought to soccer, from museums to cinema and television, from popular festivals to civic celebrations, for example. From a more pragmatic perspective, studies in this area of research focus on analyzing and promoting the establishment of archives, organizing projects of “recovery” of personal or institutional trajectories, and institutionalizing cultural heritage and traditions. Projects focusing on the dissemination and democratization of culture and heritage education initiatives are also recurrently addressed in works addressing these themes. An important part of the research studies conducted in this area is based on the CPDOC tradition of developing methodologies for the treatment of archives and setting up collections of oral history combined with critical reflection on the social processes of production and circulation of historical sources.
• 
  II. SOCIAL PROJECTS AND INSTITUTIONS: Research on institutions is at the root of CPDOC's identity and is conducted by a significant number of professors participating in the Program. They analyze actions, practices and perceptions of social groups and institutions, primarily, but also of individuals. Studies in this area contribute to a better understanding of the processes of institutional construction and decision-making in the governmental structures; they explore the role of political and social leaders, as well as their multiple and complex interfaces with broader political institutions; they discuss public policies and their impact on the construction of citizenship. CPDOC intensified its activities in a specific dimension of studies on institutions, which is that of social projects. Therefore, research centered on the design, monitoring and evaluation of social activities conducted by public agencies, civil society organizations and companies has increased. As a result, CPDOC, through its Professional Master's program, has supported the education of professionals with such expertise, working in the social responsibility departments of public and private companies or NGOs conducting research or managing public policies against social inequality and poverty.