Public Humanities

University extension, social responsibility, and the extra-academic audiences

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-864X.2026.1.47761

Keywords:

Public Humanities, Extension, Universities, Social Responsibility

Abstract

This article aims to reflect on university extension practices in the field of Humanities and their potential to promote social responsibility in higher education institutions. For this purpose, the text discusses extension in Brazil and, in dialogue with the specialized bibliography, proposes the concept of “Public Humanities” to understand the different initiatives developed by Humanities researchers aimed at public knowledge, public dialogue, and public intervention. The article analyzes some examples of extension practices to illustrate how they enable knowledge democratization, dialogue with extra-academic audiences, and the development of public policies, thereby strengthening the social responsibility of universities.

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Author Biographies

Fernando Perlatto, Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Professor in the Department of History and the Graduate Program in History at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF). He holds a PhD in Sociology, with a doctoral research stay at the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University (IPK-NYU). He is a recipient of a CNPq productivity fellowship (Level 2).

Diogo Tourino de Sousa, Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Professor in the Department of Social Sciences (UFJF) and in the Professional Master’s Program in the Teaching of Sociology (ProfSocio). Holds a PhD in Political Science (IESP/UERJ).

References

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Published

2026-10-29

How to Cite

Perlatto, F., & Tourino de Sousa, D. (2026). Public Humanities: University extension, social responsibility, and the extra-academic audiences. Estudos Ibero-Americanos, 52(1), e47761. https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-864X.2026.1.47761

Issue

Vol. 52 No. 1 (2026): Single Volume - Continuous Flow

Section

Dossie: Social Responsibility of Education: Between Dilemmas and Possibilities

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Fernando Perlatto, Diogo Tourino de Sousa

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.