Milton Santos
Encyclopedia
Milton Almeida dos Santos (born May 3, 1926 – June 24, 2001) was a Brazilian geographer
who had a degree in law
.
, Bahia
, Brazil
on May 3, 1926. Santos' parents were teachers at elementary school and taught him at home how to read and write. By the time he was eight, Santos had already completed the equivalent of an elementary school education. Milton's father was a descendant from slaves, which gave Santos motivation to study. From 1934 to 1936, he lived in Alcobaça
, learning French
and good manners.
To finance university classes in Salvador, he taught geography
to high school students. Partially motivated by a plea from his uncle, he graduated, majoring in law
. Instead of practicing law, he took and passed a public examination for secondary teacher and went to teach geography in Ilhéus
. His teaching career, replete with challenges, in no small way imposed by his condition of blackness.
Santos went on to study and teach in Europe
, America
, and Africa
. He turned the painful exile that the military dictatorship
had imposed on him for thirteen years into benefits. Milton Santos wrote more than forty books in several languages. These works became a reference for all those who intended to understand the world in a critical way.
A serious and combative geographer, he didn't spare anyone of severe criticism. Politician
s, intellectual
s, department friends, and even the more faithful students received criticism alike. Though gray hair appeared in his last years, the professor would always appear in long-sleeve shirts and red tie, dressed with the same seriousness that he had worked with knowledge.
Some of his works include "Por Uma Geografia Nova" (1978) and "A Natureza do Espaço" (1996). His work "O Espaço Dividido", in which Santos develops a theory on urban development in underdeveloped countries, is considered a geography classic.
Milton Santos went on to win the Vautrin Lud International Geography Prize- the highest award that can be gained in the field of geography. The award is modeled after the Nobel Prize
and is considered and colloquially called the Nobel Prize for geography.
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
who had a degree in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
.
Biography
Santos was born in Brotas de MacaúbasBrotas de Macaúbas
Brotas de Macaúbas is a town and municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil.-References:...
, Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
on May 3, 1926. Santos' parents were teachers at elementary school and taught him at home how to read and write. By the time he was eight, Santos had already completed the equivalent of an elementary school education. Milton's father was a descendant from slaves, which gave Santos motivation to study. From 1934 to 1936, he lived in Alcobaça
Alcobaça (Bahia)
Alcobaça is a town and municipality in the state of Bahia in the North-East region of Brazil.-References:...
, learning French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and good manners.
To finance university classes in Salvador, he taught geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
to high school students. Partially motivated by a plea from his uncle, he graduated, majoring in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. Instead of practicing law, he took and passed a public examination for secondary teacher and went to teach geography in Ilhéus
Ilhéus
Ilhéus is a major city located in the southern coastal region of Bahia, Brazil, 430 km south of Salvador, the state's capital. The city was originally founded in 1534 as Vila de São Jorge dos Ilhéus and is known as one of the most important tourism centers of the northeast of Brazil.The...
. His teaching career, replete with challenges, in no small way imposed by his condition of blackness.
Santos went on to study and teach in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, America
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. He turned the painful exile that the military dictatorship
Military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a form of government where in the political power resides with the military. It is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military....
had imposed on him for thirteen years into benefits. Milton Santos wrote more than forty books in several languages. These works became a reference for all those who intended to understand the world in a critical way.
A serious and combative geographer, he didn't spare anyone of severe criticism. Politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
s, intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
s, department friends, and even the more faithful students received criticism alike. Though gray hair appeared in his last years, the professor would always appear in long-sleeve shirts and red tie, dressed with the same seriousness that he had worked with knowledge.
Some of his works include "Por Uma Geografia Nova" (1978) and "A Natureza do Espaço" (1996). His work "O Espaço Dividido", in which Santos develops a theory on urban development in underdeveloped countries, is considered a geography classic.
Milton Santos went on to win the Vautrin Lud International Geography Prize- the highest award that can be gained in the field of geography. The award is modeled after the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
and is considered and colloquially called the Nobel Prize for geography.
External links
- Folha Online Brasil
- Milton Santos
- AGB - perfil do Prof. Milton Santos
- Currículo Lattes do Prof. Milton Santos
- A meeting with Milton Santos Documentary film. Director: Silvio Tendler, 2006
See also
- Afro-BrazilianAfro-BrazilianIn Brazil, the term "preto" is one of the five categories used by the Brazilian Census, along with "branco" , "pardo" , "amarelo" and "indígena"...
s