Cultural Content Assignment on Brazil

The country is chose is Brazil and for several reasons. Brazil is the largest country in south America and equally one of the richest in culture. It is known to be one of the most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations. It is also one of the fastest growing economies in the world so it should be important to have some cultural insight in such a country with growing business opportunities. Does this country have a high or low context culture?Brazil is what is called a high context culture. High context cultures are cultures that mostly communicate primarily through non-verbal methods such as body language, a person’s status or tone of voice. This is shown in several different ways in Brazilian society. One common characteristic is that people often have conversations at closer distances, it is more comfortable and acceptable this way.

What languages are spoken in brazil? Portuguese is the language spoken primarily in brazil, there is also Brazilian sign language that is communicated. There are also many dialects in brazil, Ticuna being one, it is mostly spoken in north brazil by the indigenous people.

How do people greet each other in a social setting? In Brazil, it is common for people to start off greeting each other with an air-kiss on each cheek. Sometimes they may even give a third kiss depending if the woman is single. This perfectly acceptable during social settings with people they are getting to know or know already. Are there gender differences in terms of greetings? There are gender differences in the way people greet bringing exceptions to the common air-kiss gesture. General rules of socialized greeting are air-kisses are gestures to be shared between a man and a woman, or a woman with a woman. Air-kisses aren’t usually shared between two men and is considered weird because of a strong social stigma towards homosexual men.

How do people greet each other in business setting? Although people often air-kiss during social settings, during business settings that isn’t common or appropriate, and it is more customary to shake hands with every person you are presented to. Business meetings are more in casual settings like over coffee or lunch. Business is also conducted with plenty of small-talk and unrelated material. Is it considered rude to interrupt someone in the middle of a sentence?Interrupting other people in conversation is consider normal and isn’t rude at all. You’d find it common for people to constantly interrupt each other in business and social settings. In fact, its actually a sign of admiration since people may use interrupting as to empathize with the person they are conversating with.

How are you expected to dress for a business setting? What people wear during business settings are very important, and people are always expected to dress formally or conservatively. This is often a reflection of how you conduct yourself in business relationships. Even though Business settings in Brazil are more casual over cafes or restaurants, it is still very important to dress to business to show you wish a intention to conduct business. Jeans for example are seen as completely unacceptable attire to attend any sort of business meeting. Women also are expected to have well-groomed hair and manicured nails. Is it considered polite to talk about business right after you meet? Why or why not?Consider the high-text culture in which brazil is, it may be a little inappropriate to talk about business right after you meet. Business opportunities can also sometimes be seen as an effort to take advantage of people, so trust may have to be developed in order for a business transaction to be conducted. Brazilians build trust through personal bonds and are more willing to conduct business with someone who they know well.

Friendship can have a big influence in the way businesses work together. Is eye contact considered polite? Eye-contact made by people in brazil can be interpreted in different way. Generally during common place, brief eye-contact is perfectly acceptable and normal on the day to day basis. Although there are some exceptions in which maintained eye-contact may be appropriate. Those in field of service (such as maids, housecleaners or assistants) may actually avoid eye-contact with superiors or people of a higher social status. Eye contact may also be avoided as a sign of respect to elders or parents by children.

How important is punctuality? Punctuality isn’t as important and there is a more relaxed attitude towards time It’s acceptable and common for people to be 15-30 minutes late to meetings or events. It is also common for people to cancel meetings or appointments last minute.

How is silence used? Silence is a very important part of a Brazilian discussion. Emotions and expression is used more when there is communications during silence between to people since it’s a high-context culture. This means pauses and silences can mean a variety of things considering people use a combination of gestures and facial expresses to add context.

If invited to dinner or to your hosts home, are you expected to bring a gift, and if so what kind? If you were to be invited to a home in brazil, it may be customary to bring a gift to the persons home. To show appreciation to getting invited, people often bring whiskey or wine, and even send a batch of flowers to the persons home the day after visiting to show good friendship.

What is the etiquette at meals? There is a lot that goes into the mannerism of Brazilians at the dinner table. When eating at a table, whenever there shall be someone that isn’t using their utensils, their hands should be visible wrists up above the table. The knife should be on the right hand and the fork on the left hand when eating. Brazilians also do not commonly simultaneously switch utensils while eating cutting and eating meat like beef. What are some typical plates from Brazil? If you were to give a gift to a potential business associate or partner, what gift is not culturally acceptable, and why? Are there any colors, numbers or flowers that have special significance? If so, provide a few examples. There are several ways in which colors, numbers and flowers have special significance in brazil. It is customary for people to bring a gift when attending someone’s home or party, but purple and black are two colors that should be avoided. Black and purple hold significance since they represent death and mourning, so its best to be avoided when gifting. Flowers are also customary to give out next day after attending someone’s home.

What are festivals like in brazil? Carnival is known to be one of the worlds biggest parades in the world, celebrating carnival 46 days before the Easter festival. Carnival are said to have its origins from the roman Catholics when abstaining from meat or alcohol to drive bad things away. Catholics would celebrate before the start of lent by indulging themselves in alcohol, parties and dancing since they would have to give these things up during Lent season. It is celebrated in multiple different countries, but brazil has the biggest annual parade. People dress up in masquerades and are decorated colorful decor. There are also men and women dancing to samba music (traditional Brazilian music) on giant floats. The parade is at a venue people can come and watch within the stadium.

Are there any specific behaviors or body language that should be avoided because of cultural beliefs? If so what are they? Body language is a big part of communication when it comes to having a conversation in brazil.

Distance between the two people can play a role in communicating body language. If a person steps back when you are engaging in a conversation, it’s considered rude since personal space isn’t emphasized during conversations. It is more common to stay closer and occasionally bump into each other as a sign of empathy or engagement in a conversation. Another don’t-do is wiping your hands together, it means that you don’t care, or it doesn’t matter, which wouldn’t be nice when trying to make conversation with other people. The O-K sign would be insulting in Brazil and highly vulgar so it should also be avoided. What was the most interesting thing you learned, and why? What are their brazils current form of currency? Brazils current bank currency is Brazilian real, and it includes banknotes and several coins. Its known to be one of the strongest currencies in Latin America whole. The country has experienced multiple economic crises in history but today remains one of the biggest economies in the world.

The Brazilian real is worth. 27 cents to the U. S dollarWhat is the most predominant religion in brazil currently?The most commonly practiced religion in Brazil is What is the most popular sport in Brazil?Soccer is without a question the most popular sport in brazil, nearly every city has a soccer stadium. It is without surprise Brazil has won the FIFA world cup almost 6 times already. In this country is common for boys to play soccer and be on a team on their free time. It is also common for men to play soccer on their free time, parks are full of matches that people even gamble on.

Works Cited

1. Freyre, G. (2014). The Masters and the Slaves: A Study in the Development of Brazilian Civilization. University of California Press.
2. Geertz, C. (1973). The Interpretation of Cultures: Selected Essays. Basic Books.
3. Margolis, M. L. (2014). A History of Brazil. Palgrave Macmillan.
4. Nogueira, O. (2007). Culture and Language in Brazilian Society. University of Texas Press.
5. Pierson, D. S., & Costa, P. F. (2015). The Brazilian Economy: Growth and Development. Wiley.
6. Ribeiro, D. (2012). The Brazilian People: The Formation and Meaning of Brazil. University of Florida Press.
7. Schaefer, M. B. (2016). Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society. SAGE Publications.
8. Skidmore, T. E. (2010). Brazil: Five Centuries of Change. Oxford University Press.
9. Souza, J. (2016). Brazil: A Biography. University of Chicago Press.
10. Warren, D. M. (2019). Brazil: The Troubled Rise of a Global Power. John Wiley & Sons.