Analysis of a Community: Vilarinho da Furna VS Portuguese Community

Abstract

This article, originated from a work written for the Curricular Unit of Intercultural Studies, shows a singular case in Portugal's history: the self-sufficient community of Vilarinho da Furna. With the help of internet research, several books, the viewing of a documentary and a visit to the Ethnographic Centre of Vilarinho da Furna, it is intended that there is intercultural understanding and exchange as a means for cultural and personal enrichment. For that, this article is structured in the following way: a historical framing of the village; the application of the Curricular Unit program, establishing frequent comparisons between the village and the country; the socio-cultural framing as an element of identity formation; and, finally, an analysis of the interculturality between the two societies in question (the Portuguese society and the relatively isolated society of Vilarinho da Furna).