h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Brazilian Culture. - A685640
Author: Athena, Muse of Philosophy, and very glad to be back on H2G2, after to long gone! -1+7+9*(3+0!)+0=42 - U179300

Finally it's done! Very worth while though.

Nice job!

You'll probably want to link to tha following entries:

A698529 Brazil
A563681 Sao Paulo City, Sao Paulo, Brazil
A491753 Canudos, Bahia, Brazil and the Blessed Jesus
A563889 Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

It might be interesting to add a bit about they way Brazil has dealt with the problem of AIDS. The Health Ministry doubles its efforts on prevention during Carnival.

Brazil has put a lot into drug therapies as well as prevention - against the advice of drug angencies and although to date it has lost 100,000 to the disease, infection rates remain a low 0.6 per cent. During 2001, it distributed antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to 110,000 registered HIV patients free of charge.

Brazil began producing drugs locally before adjusting its patent laws to World Trade Organisation requirements and has sidestepped steep royalties. It is also researching into newer ARV treatments. Needless to say, the giant multinationals were not happy.

The situation is not completely under control as there are an estimated half million people from the most marginalised sections of the population infected and untreated.

Brazil is now exporting its expertise in dealing with HIV/AIDS and is co-operating with Medicins Sans Frontieres and has signed agreements with four African countries. More are interested.

This is a great start to an entry on a country that appears to be relatively ignored in the Guide.

As well as the suggestions made above, I would also write a paragraph which details Japanese and German immigration to Brazil. these two groups have added to the richness of the culture in the areas where they are predominant.

there is a town in southern Brazil that is almost entirely Japanese - I can't for the life of me think of the name.

Keep up the great work!

Hi, Athena!

I'm very glad to see you back in Peer Review with this entry. I think this entry is very good as it stands, giving a nice introduction to what is a huge topic.

Azara

Thank you Azara! I believe you are one of the ones who know the back story on this entry.

Hello,

I think that your historical description of the colonial time is totally over-simplified and could lead to the wrong impression that Brazil was being neglected until 1822. The Portuguese did not found Rio to keep Brazil. Many other cities were founded before with the same intention. Plus: The Portuguese were not nearly as brutal with the indian Population as were the Spanish. In the first years, yes, they did a lot of harm, but from the 1600's onwards there was little struggle with the Indians.

The recent historical description is also filled with over-simplified and wrong information. One would gain the impression that from 1822 onwards there was a lot of confusion until in 1985 Brazil became civilized like the USA. (The military dictature from 1964-1985 had a election system that was based on the american one. Today the election system is modern and totally different from the American model - ie. One man one vote, many parties)

Additionally you mention that there is a threat of army intervention. I don't think so. Could you please give me some reference to that. I would be highly interested in that.

Then: Indians left in Brazil after being killed, exploited and made slaves of. Indians were not made slaves of. The Portuguese had a blooming slave-trade business importing African slaves. Indians were not suitable to do slave work. Indians were not massacrated (well not after the 1600's) they were catechized.

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I will stop here for now, but the rest of the entry is equally wrong/over-simplified. One would get a wrong picture of what Brazil is.

Sorry, nice attempt though.

HELL

Hell,

They entry is over simplified for a reason. There already is an entry on Brazil, this one is Brazilian culture. The other entry (you can get to it through searching Brazil) has the NOT over simplified version. It goes into detail of the things I glossed over, and I am attempting only Brazilian culture, which the other entry lacked. However I woudn't go so far as to say the entry is 'wrong'. The book I got the peice of info about army intervention was called, I believe, The Brazilians. I don't know who it was by, it came from the library. Well, I hope that puts some of your fears at rest. I will put in a link to the other entry though.


Athena

Hello,

Sorry if I sounded a bit harsh, but as I am a Brazilian, you will understand that some points will catch my attention. I have already read all entries pertinent to Brazil, obviously. However, I would not want to see the first paragraphs as they are, as they would generate a wrong impression, even if it is not the main point of the entry.

About the military being prone to interfere. I would not trust your library book. I am constantly in touch with Brazil and I keep reading all newspapers. Believe me. The information of your book is out of date. The military might have been prone to intervene in the early 80s during the democratization process, but nowadays there is no such threat. (I am not saying that the situation could not change within the next 20 years).

I have more to say about the remaining parts of your entry, but I didn't want to include it in the first posting - this would cause the impression that I am tearing your entry apart. This is not my intention. What I offer you here is my help to make the entry better. Since I am somewhat a specialist for Brazil, I think your entry could only profit from my input.

Sorry, again, if I sounded harsh.

HELL

Hi,

Just quickly, Canada has the longest coastline in the world. Brazil isn't even close!

Bit rude
Jack

I thought so...

People tend to forget the polar sea. Canada? Because of all the islands up there? I would have thought it was Russia.

Anyhow,

HELL

Athena
It was a pity you did not remember to call me from H2G2AS, I would like to had helped you with this topic.
Unfortunately, this entry is wrong in many parts. Several items do not correspond to reality, others were overlooked. I think you have made a brave effort, but it seems the books that based your entry are old or simply not good.
For example, I doubt seriously 1/6 of brazilian portuguese word roots are from Tupi-Guarani. 1% or less would be far more probable.
The text "Brazilians have a custom that a relative, no matter haw distant, is always welcome to stay no matter how long. If the host even suggested they pay rent or help with food money, it would be extremely rude, and taken as a sign the host could not fulfill their duty. Friendship ties are also very strong. Two Brazilians will not become close friends until they have known each other for many years. Only then will the visit each others houses." was only partially true in certain parts of the country some decades ago. The typical Brazilians do become close friends in less than an year (sometimes in the course of a week), and they visit each other houses all the time.
Other wrong passages are "Men are expected to court the woman, but they must uphold a strict code of chivalry to retain their honor." and "(gauchos) wear flat black hats called bombachas". I am not aware of the brazilian code of honor, and bombacha is not a hat, is a kind of trouser.
Apart from that, I think the brazilian way of doing (jeitinho) needs more explanation to be correctly characterized. The proeminence of football (soccer) in brazilian culture was not sufficiently emphasized. Another point that could be given some attention is the cultural diversity in Brazil, since in a country so large and with so many different influences, important regional variations should be expected.
When you decide to rewrite this entry, please feel free to ask me for help, if you need.
Marcelo Allen
São Paulo, Brazil

Hello,

This entry has been languishing in PR for quite a while now. Maybe it's time to consider a move to the entry itself.

HELL