Knightly Masculinity, Court Games and Material Culture in Late Medieval Portugal: The case of Constable Afonso (c. 1480–1504)

This article explores the ways in which gender was used in order to transform an exiled and uneducated illegitimate child into a prince. Our study revolves around a member of the royal family, Afonso (c.1480–1504), who was brought up in hiding by peasants and who later, as a teenager, was reincorporated into the court. We argue that the keys to this process of rehabilitation were, on one hand, family politics centred around different configurations and on the other, his introduction into a court environment marked by the ideals of chivalry. Within this dynamic, material culture played a key role, because it gave the prince all the visual attributes of his new status, as well as allowing him the means to create a new self. We shall briefly introduce Afonso and his family context in order to give an insight into his life within changing political and dynastic contexts. Then, we will analyse the expression of manhood in the Portuguese court, using the spectacles at the court as a basis for observation, thus relating gender to material culture in a courtly environment.

Searching for best practices to build an inclusive intervention. The international project ENABLIN+ aproach

The project ENABLIN+ is an international partnership for the period of 01/01/2014 to 31/12/2016. It's addressed to the needs of children and youth with complex and intense support needs (CISN), their caregivers and supporters. It wants to develop a system of interdisciplinary in-service training, where professionals and parents of various professional backgrounds learn together, with the aim of improving inclusion, promoting de-institutionalization and enhancing quality of life of the children with CISN, at various age levels. ENABLIN+ promotes an inclusive intervention, not only in social life, but also in education. In this context, this work aims to present and discuss the concept of “best practices” in inclusive intervention based in real world cases. To study that subject we prepare a seminar, where 12 cases of “best practices” in inclusive intervention was presented.