The Centre for Research and Studies in Sociology (CIES) celebrates four decades of activity with the publication of an anthology bringing together texts representative of its scientific output over the past 40 years. The volume highlights the thematic diversity and scholarly relevance of the research conducted by different generations of researchers who have been, and continue to be, part of the Centre.

The selected texts are drawn from several collective volumes organised by CIES at different moments, which sought to provide an overview of the extensive research carried out at the Centre. These publications brought together contributions from a significant portion of the research team and reflect the central role of work developed across multiple fields in advancing knowledge of Portuguese society and contemporary social issues.

As a national and international centre of reference, CIES stands as a privileged observatory of the social world. The anthology is available open access on the website of the publisher Mundos Sociais, enabling free access to a significant part of the research produced by CIES and underscoring its contribution to understanding the profound transformations that have taken place in Portuguese society over the last four decades.