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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: BRAZIL
Afro-Brazilians are another major group with their own customs and fam-
ily traditions. They are descendants from the some 4 million slaves brought
to the country by the Portuguese during Brazil’s colonial period. As a com-
munity, Afro-Brazilians are very outgoing, although many are poor. Many
Afro-Brazilian couples choose not to get married but instead live together in
a practice known as
amasiado
.
As in many cultures, Brazilians have a hard time separating their private
and personal relationships. As a result, nepotism—the display of favoritism by
someone in power to relatives and friends—is encouraged. It is a way to hire
workers a person knows and trusts, even though the practice is often criticized
as a way of limiting power to a select group of people. In fact, in 2000, legisla-
tion to curb the practice among politicians was defeated, despite the fact that
nepotism often leads to corruption.
Connections among people are indeed important in the country. Brazilians
are for the most part outgoing and relate to one another based on their friend-
ships, kinships, and even on their neighborhood ties. Along with family values
and social connections, friendships are highly prized.
Brazilians often kiss the cheeks of their friends when they first meet, although
men mostly shake hands, a sign of machismo, or masculinity. In some places,
the kisses come in bunches, one on one cheek, two on the other. Friends
often greet one other with a little kiss called the
beijinho
, or with an
abraco
, or
hug. It is important to
have friends in Brazil,
mainly because if you
want to get something
done, it’s all about
whom you know.
A woman in traditional
dress in the historic district
of Pelourinho in the city of
Salvador, Bahia.