Personal Presentation

João Teixeira Lopes holds a degree in Sociology from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Porto (1992), a Master’s degree in Social Sciences from the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon (1995), and a PhD in Sociology of Culture and Education (1999).
His master’s dissertation, Sad Schools – A Study on Students’ Cultural Practices in Urban School Spaces, was published in Porto by Edições Afrontamento (1997). His doctoral thesis, The City and Culture – A Study on Urban Cultural Practices, was also published by the same publisher (Porto, 2000).
Between 1996 and 1998, he was a member of the Observatory of Cultural Activities. During this period, he was part of the coordinating team responsible for the Report on National Cultural Policies (1985–1995), presented to the Council of Europe in 1998 (Cultural Policies in Portugal, Lisbon, Observatory of Cultural Activities). He also contributed to the initial team that prepared the candidacy project submitted to the Council of Europe.
He served as a Member of Parliament representing Bloco de Esquerda in the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic between 2002 and 2006.
At the University of Porto, he has held several academic leadership positions. He was Scientific Coordinator of the Institute of Sociology at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (2002–2010 and again since May 2020), Head of the Department of Sociology (2011–2019), and Director of the journal Sociologia (2009–2013).
He was President of the Portuguese Sociological Association from July 2016 to March 2021.

João Teixeira Lopes has published 43 books (as author or co-author), focusing on sociology of culture, social inequalities, the city, youth and education, as well as museology and territorial studies.
In May 2014, he was awarded the title of Chevalier des Palmes Académiques by the French Government.