Brazil

Brazilians often have strong opinions and will argue for their conviction with a vigor that may seem like anger, but is not. Brazilians tend to view time more as a sequence of events rather than hours and minutes. People are polite in crowds and shoving is considered discourteous.

Most Middle and Lower class Brazilians feel the work ”to survive” Middle-class members usually wish they could give their children a fair education (which in most cases is a guarantee of entering the best public universities. The lower classes worry about having food to eat and having a car or some other facilities which would make living easier.

The government has official standards for classifying who is poor and who is to be considered rich. Families who own houses, apartments, land, or have a company are usually seen as “rich” by others.

Brazilians greet each other with a handshake; good friends often embrace. Women often kiss each other on alternating cheeks. When joining or leaving a small group, it is polite to shake hands with all who are present. People will also say “Bom Dia” (Good Morning), “Boa tarde ” (Good afternoon), “Como vai” (How do you do), “Tudo bem ” (Are you fine), or “Oi” (Hello).

People usually stay closer to each other than those in European societies when talking. If they belong to the same economic class they usually look each other in the eyes during conversation. Poorer people usually look down when they talk to someone they consider to be of higher social standing.

The “OK” sign, with the thumb and index finger forming a circle, is considered offensive. The “thumbs-up” sign is used to show approval. To beckon, all fingers of the hand wave with the palm facing down. To get someone’s attention from a distance, people say “Pssssst”. Whistling at people is considered rude. Using a toothpick in public is rude if not done with discretion by covering the hand holding the toothpick with the other hand.

Brazilians enjoy visiting with one another. Their warm climate permits much time outdoors, including socializing outdoors late into the evening hours. When invited to a home, guests generally arrive several minutes late. If invited to dinner, a gift of candy, wine, or a small figurine is appropriate. One is generally expected to stay at least two hours. It is rude to ask personal questions, such as about age or salary. Brazilians love to go out for a drink with friends, and in small villages, people still gather at night for talks or for dances.

If you show up impromptu it is not impolite for the host to politely turn you away.

Brazilians prefer to wear European fashions, specifically Italian and French, in the cities. The people are very fashion conscious, especially women, and wear the latest styles. Shoes are well kept and polished. Manicures and pedicures are popular.

People sometimes put on ritual clothes when they want to be distinguished according to their origins ancestors or the region of Brazil they are from. Each Brazilian region, state, or city has its own culture and therefore, way of dressing.

Breakfast usually consists of cafe com leite (coffee with milk), bread, cheese or marmalade, and butter. Lunch and dinner are the main meals and may include beans, rice, meat, salad, fruit, potatoes, and bread. The people drink plenty of coffee and mate, and herbal tea. Brazilian food is very tasty. In some provinces foods are often spiced with palm oil. Pão de Queijo are a famous snack and can be found on most street corners in the large cities.

Brazilians eat in continental style. People wash their hands before eating and refrain from touching food while eating. One's mouth is wiped each time before drinking. After-meal conversation often takes place over a cup of strong black coffee.

The average Brazilian that has money to eat usually eats bread and black coffee (with or without milk) in the morning. At lunch almost everybody eats rice and beans, some kind of meat, chicken or egg, and some kind of salad. At night people might eat a soup, or repeat the breakfast or the lunch menu.

At small cities, middle class people still go home for lunch. Poorer people might have to bring lunch to work.

Breakfast usually consists of cafe com leite (coffee with milk), bread, cheese or marmalade, and butter. Lunch and dinner are the main meals and may include beans, rice, meat, salad, fruit, potatoes, and bread. The people drink plenty of coffee and mate, and herbal tea. Brazilian food is very tasty. In some provinces foods are often spiced with palm oil. Pão de Queijo are a famous snack and can be found on most street corners in the large cities.

Families are traditionally large and may include the extended family. The elderly who cannot care for themselves live with their children because it is improper to send them to a nursing home. The family is led by the father. The mother does have an influence in decisions, however, especially those affecting the home. Children usually only leave home when they marry and rarely before. Men may leave early for employment reasons, but it is not uncommon for them to live at home until they are 30 if unmarried. Family members are very reliant on each other for assistance and enjoy being together. Women and young people often work to help and support families.

Group dating starts at about age fourteen. Serious dating and engagements may last as long as two or three years. Traditional families expect the young man to ask the girl's father for permission to be her boyfriend. Weddings may include two ceremonies: a legal civil ceremony and an optional religious ceremony. Wedding parties are lavish and elegant, with much food, drink, and music.

Boys usually play soccer, Girls and boys usually swim as children and many also may play volleyball. Sports are not taken seriously, usually people go to special training centers if they want to seriously dedicate themselves to any sport or dance. In less privileged communities people usually organize sport practicing centers.

Most Brazilian homes in the country do not have running water or electricity. Homes in the city may have both, but not always for the entire day. This means that getting ready in the morning is usually simple and fast. Breakfast may consist of fresh fruit or bread and a drink of fresh fruit juice or coffee (Brazil produces one-fourth of all the coffee in the world, and the people there love to drink it!). Because many Brazilians have European roots, breakfast can also be influenced by the countries their ancestors came from.

Kids in rural schools will walk, ride their bikes, or even take a boat for half an hour to get to school. Many of these poorer students do not have electricity or running water in their homes. In the cities, electricity is much more common, but even then not everyone will be guaranteed power in their homes 24 hours a day. In the cities, poorer children will walk to school, but wealthier families will often drive their children to school (usually private school!). School begins at 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning and is finished at noon. Students return home to eat their midday meal, which is still the most important meal of the day in much of the country.

Primary schools are run by the cities, secondary schools are under the control of Brazilian states, and the national government operates the universities. At all levels, there is not enough money in the public school system to properly educate students. There are not enough books and other materials, and teachers are paid poorly. The buildings themselves are usually made of brick, but may not have windows, and the only teaching materials are usually a blackboard and chalk. Schools are often run down and not well maintained; however, they usually do have electricity, running water, and a bathroom. A related problem is the lack of properly trained teachers. As many as a quarter of a million teaching positions remain unfilled each year, which means that many people are hired to teach without any training besides their desire to help where they can. Too often, that is not enough. Most students in both public and private schools are required to wear a school uniform, which usually includes a simple T-shirt with the school’s name printed on it. Interestingly, part of the reason for the overcrowding is that the government has been working to increase the number of children who attend school. In 2000, 94 percent of primary-aged children attended school, as opposed to only 84 percent nearly a decade earlier and 50 percent in 1960. More children, fewer funds—the result is an educational failure for hundreds of thousands of children. It is not surprising that there is a very high dropout rate as the children get older.

There is a lot of variation in schools in Brazil, but basic classes include Portuguese, social studies, history, geography, science, and math. Brazil is the only country in South America that speaks Portuguese as the national language instead of Spanish. English is the most popular second language for students in school. However, most of the children who learn a second language will do so through speaking to tourists and people living in Brazil who were born elsewhere. The school system usually does not do a very good job at educating the children, despite the efforts of some very dedicated teachers. There are simply not enough of them, nor do they have enough resources. High school students take classes in Portuguese, literature, biology, chemistry, geography, physics, math, history, geometry, social studies, physical education, and a second language (typically English). Most kids are able to write and read very basic Portuguese when they leave school for jobs, but many are not able to do so fluently with a very large vocabulary. In other words, most can get by in day-to-day living, but even simple reports would be challenging for most to write. In some rural areas where teachers and schools just cannot meet the demands, the government broadcasts classes over the radio. One study reported on the dropout rate of students from schools. To begin with, only 12.5% of all preschool-age children actually attend preschool. Of every 100 students that begin first grade, half will quit during the first two years of school. Thirteen more will be gone by fourth grade, and another 20 will quit by 8th grade. Only 9 of the original 100 will finish high school, and only 6 will attend university. The study did not say how many would graduate from the university.

Extracurricular activities in Brazilian schools are rare. Participation in athletics and other interests are handled by clubs and private organizations instead of schools. Nonetheless, some private schools, community groups, and others recognize that there is a need for children to fill their free time with useful and positive activities. Some of these groups are organizing activities for children after school, including sports, performing arts (music, dance, theater), computer skills, service, and social education (topics include drugs, sexuality, and other social challenges.

Brazilians love futebol (soccer), which is easily their favorite sport. Rio de Janeiro has the world’s largest soccer stadium, which can hold up to 200,000 fans. Children everywhere love to play soccer, and those who can afford it will usually join a soccer club. However, they are also fond of basketball, volleyball, beach sports, and similar activities. Brazil has many miles of ocean coast and a warm, tropical climate throughout much of the country; this allows a great variety of fun, relaxed times with friends and family, including fishing, boating, skin diving, and just simply swimming. Brazilian children love to play. They mix play with their school and with their work. They are creative and social with one another. Teenagers enjoy going to movies or hanging out together at an outdoor café. Unfortunately, so many families are poor that many children must work after school or drop out of school altogether in order to help support the family.

In Brazil, as in many Latin American countries, meal time is an important family social event. In urban areas, it is not unusual for extended families to join together at meal time to eat and enjoy one another. In rural areas and the poorer sections of cities, meals are based on beans, rice, and dried beef and pork. Southern Brazil is known for its charcoal broiled meats. Along the coast, families often include bananas, coconuts, and fish in their cooking. In rural areas, after school the children will come home and work alongside their parents—fishing, hunting, harvesting foods or lumber in the forest, and similar types of work. Girls will help with essential household duties, caring for other children, cooking, and cleaning. Family members support one another in all aspects of life. They help with childcare, they work together, and they play together. Unlike some countries, in Brazil families will attend parties together and spend much time in social activities together when not working.

The public school system in Brazil is free. Children from ages 7 to 14 are required to attend primary school and from ages 15 to 17 must attend secondary school, but the law is very difficult to enforce. Public high schools are also free, but most high schools are private, many of which are run by the Catholic Church. School begins in Brazil in mid-February, right after the summer break, and goes until the end of November. Students then have the months of December, January, and part of February to enjoy a summer vacation. The school year has four quarters, with a four-week vacation in July. School begins at 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning and lasts only four hours, finishing at noon. Students return home to eat their midday meal, which is still the most important meal of the day in much of the country. Some schools are in session Monday through Saturday and just have Sunday off, although most hold classes only Monday through Friday. After the midday meal, students are expected to study at home. But Brazilian schools are in trouble, especially the public schools. The government has not supplied enough funds to properly run the school system. Teachers are not properly trained, and children are not learning as they should. Fewer than 1 out of every 20 fourth graders is able to read very well at all, and less than 2 of every 20 have the math skills that they should have. Private and community groups recognize the terrible conditions of modern education and are trying to add classes and opportunities outside of the schools, but they have too few resources and there are far too many children to take care of. One way of dealing with the social problems that the children face is by providing school full-time instead of just in the mornings. This helps keep them off the streets and out of trouble. Also, by educating the children better, caring individuals hope to teach the children to get better jobs than their parents have and thus break the cycle of poverty in which these children are being raised. Approximately 60 percent of all Brazilian adults have four years of school or less. Similarly, because many older children must quit school to get a job, less than 40 percent of secondary-school-aged children are in school. In poorer families, children quit school as early as ten years old to join their families at work.