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Research Paper
Brazilian culture is one of the most diverse and varied cultures in the world. This is because of its mixture of nationalities. At present the population of Brazil is about 190 million. Among these, more than 50% are white (which include Portuguese, Polish, Italian, etc.) and less than 40% are mixed white and black. Brazil culture is diverse due to cultural and ethnic mixing that took place during the colonial period. For over 300 years, Brazil was a part of the Portuguese Empire and because of this, most of their culture is based on the culture of Portuguese. Brazilian culture has also been influenced over centuries by colonists and immigrants from other European Nations including Germany, Italy, and Spain, which have contributed greatly to the culture. The culture of Brazil has been shaped by the tradition and culture of Africans and indigenous people who were brought by the European colonists as a slave. There is a small proportion of immigrants and indigenous people who speak their language but these are mostly in a minority. As a nation, Brazil gives much importance to family values and structures that are entrenched within the institution. In Brazil, families are usually large and extended family members are also close to one another who provide help and support to each other whenever necessary. The idea of beauty is very common in Brazil. Brazilian clothing tends to be brightly colored. In the context of business, clothing is similar to that found in other countries of the Western world, with ties and suits prevailing for men and simple trousers and dresses for women ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Schneider</Author><Year>2018</Year><RecNum>331</RecNum><DisplayText>(Schneider, 2018)</DisplayText><record><rec-number>331</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="2s2s0zrapsf0pbe5efuvv20f9rszvx0sd2fe" timestamp="1575018361">331</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Book">6</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Schneider, Ronald M</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Brazil: culture and politics in a new industrial powerhouse</title></titles><dates><year>2018</year></dates><publisher>Routledge</publisher><isbn>0429502028</isbn><urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote>(Schneider, 2018). Brazilian are tactile and affectionate people. Businessmen prefer know each another before committing to long-term dealing of business. Men usually shake hands with each other while women kiss each other’s cheeks when greeting. The official language of Brazil is Portuguese which is spoken by majority of the population ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Leng</Author><Year>2010</Year><RecNum>332</RecNum><DisplayText>(Leng & Botelho, 2010)</DisplayText><record><rec-number>332</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="2s2s0zrapsf0pbe5efuvv20f9rszvx0sd2fe" timestamp="1575018399">332</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Leng, Chan Yie</author><author>Botelho, Delane</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>How does national culture impact on consumers decision-making styles? A cross cultural study in Brazil, the United States and Japan</title><secondary-title>BAR-Brazilian Administration Review</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>BAR-Brazilian Administration Review</full-title></periodical><pages>260-275</pages><volume>7</volume><number>3</number><dates><year>2010</year></dates><isbn>1807-7692</isbn><urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote>(Leng & Botelho, 2010). More than 180 languages are spoken in Brazil including Italian, German, and other European languages. Brazilians are friendly and open people and this is reflected in their behavior. In Brazil, the majority of people have a religion of Christianity. Almost 60% of the population identify themselves as catholic and 20 % as protestant. Portuguese brought with them the concept of machismo. This largely came from the Catholic Church patriarchy where men are encouraged to exercise their virility and strength and women are submissive to them. The distinction between the roles of gender in Brazil tends to be dictated by geography, class, and race. In urbanized areas, women are more prone to higher educational and occupational options. However, Afro Brazilian women are usually marginalized and most of them work in domestic occupations. This has led to the feminist movement in Brazil that has been fighting for gender and racial inclusion for more than 40 years. Brazilian cuisine differs throughout the region and it encompasses influence from Italian, Middle East, Japan, China, and Africa. Beans and rice are diet staples coupled with vegetables, fresh fruits, spices, and fish. In Brazil, child-rearing is mostly dependent on class, socioeconomic differences, and racial and cultural diversity. Educational opportunities and social development tend to be concentrated in urbanized regions that are primarily situated in the southeast region of the country. Although in Brazil, education is compulsory between ages six to 14 years, funding resources tend to concentrate in urban areas and most of the groups are economically and socially disadvantaged.
SWOT Analysis of Brazil ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Damian</Author><Year>2014</Year><RecNum>329</RecNum><DisplayText>(Damian, Segundo, & Merlo, 2014)</DisplayText><record><rec-number>329</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="2s2s0zrapsf0pbe5efuvv20f9rszvx0sd2fe" timestamp="1575018250">329</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Damian, Ieda Pelogia Martins</author><author>Segundo, JE Santarem</author><author>Merlo, Edgard M</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>SWOT analysis of the services provided by e-government sites in Brazil</title><secondary-title>Procedia Computer Science</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Procedia Computer Science</full-title></periodical><pages>130-135</pages><volume>33</volume><dates><year>2014</year></dates><isbn>1877-0509</isbn><urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote>(Damian, Segundo, & Merlo, 2014)
Strengths
Brazil is a growing market for logistic drinks. It is the largest market in Latin America. In Brazil, the government has been investing in the IT sector. Brazil's domestic consumption of services and goods is high and represents more than 21% of the Latin American market. People in Brazil love to live in the moment despite different ongoing problems that are caused by the economy and politics. Brazil is one of the leading countries that uses and provides plastic surgery. The butt lift, a surgical procedure that involves the transfer of fat from one body part to another to boost buttocks was developed by the plastic surgeon of Brazil. Now, this procedure is popular in other regions in the west. Another strength of Brazil is that many exotic fruits such as ‘acai’ are grown in Brazil. Acai is used in beauty products and is considered one of the healthiest food around the world. Amazon rain forest, accounts for more than half of the world rainforest. Amazon rain forest takes up to more than 1 billion acres of land and is home to more than half of the fraction of bird species and more than 30,000 plant species. More than 40 million people came out of poverty in the last decade due to increased economic growth.
Weaknesses
Despite the friendly nature of many citizens, Brazil is rather not safe especially for foreigners. The crime rate is high in Brazil due to which many countries recommend safety procedures for travelers. In Brazil, long-term funding for infrastructure products remains challenging. In Brazil lack of long term debt limits investment in finance pipeline projects. Another weakness of Brazil is the difficulty in transporting goods around the country due to its vast Amazon rain forest. Beverage producers need their warehouses and factories built close to their consumers. This increases more spending on labor, rent, and security. In Brazil, there is a lack of skilled IT professionals as compared to other developed countries. It is estimated that there is a shortage of more than 17000 skilled professionals. In Brazil, the predominant language is Portuguese therefore all services and products of software need to be customized to meet the local needs ADDIN EN.CITE <EndNote><Cite><Author>Duchelle</Author><Year>2012</Year><RecNum>330</RecNum><DisplayText>(Duchelle et al., 2012)</DisplayText><record><rec-number>330</rec-number><foreign-keys><key app="EN" db-id="2s2s0zrapsf0pbe5efuvv20f9rszvx0sd2fe" timestamp="1575018314">330</key></foreign-keys><ref-type name="Journal Article">17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author>Duchelle, Amy E</author><author>Guariguata, Manuel R</author><author>Less, Giuliano</author><author>Albornoz, Marco Antonio</author><author>Chavez, Andrea</author><author>Melo, Tadeu</author></authors></contributors><titles><title>Evaluating the opportunities and limitations to multiple use of Brazil nuts and timber in Western Amazonia</title><secondary-title>Forest Ecology and Management</secondary-title></titles><periodical><full-title>Forest Ecology and Management</full-title></periodical><pages>39-48</pages><volume>268</volume><dates><year>2012</year></dates><isbn>0378-1127</isbn><urls></urls></record></Cite></EndNote>(Duchelle et al., 2012).
Threats
Brazil faces many different threats such as lack of international trade and high crime rate. But one of the biggest threats to Brazil is ecological issues in the Amazon rain forest. Deforestation as well as illegal wildlife and illegal poaching plague the amazon. The water is polluted by serious oil spills. Deforestation in Amazon is so prevalent on and unfortunately, in the last 50 years, more than 500,000sqkm of amazon rainforest has been destroyed.
Opportunities
Returning of the foreign investment for the finance market projects with the main focus on the infrastructure, agriculture and oil and gas sectors. This will lead to reissuance in Q1 2019 and increased IPO activity. State company's privatization is the main focus for 2019, in particular, the electricity and power sector. This will open the Brazilian market and also increase foreign investor appetite. In Brazil, the interest of consumers in online shopping for computers, electronics, and fashion is on the rise. Brazil is also trying to increase the energy and distribution system. In the future, Brazil will focus more on exporting exotic fruits.
Although strategies and improvement have been seen in the last few decades but still much more is needed. I think Brazil needs a strong security enforcement system and government leaders. It is clear from the above analysis that Brazil had many government issues such as general control and safety. In conclusion, Brazil has many strengths such as hospitality, technological, cultural and economic creativity and optimism. The major weakness of Brazil includes ignorance as a "profession of faith", lack of commitment, dishonesty in the name of friends and family, and lack of promotion of the culture of Brazil in all segments.
References
ADDIN EN.REFLIST Damian, I. P. M., Segundo, J. S., & Merlo, E. M. (2014). SWOT analysis of the services provided by e-government sites in Brazil. Procedia Computer Science, 33, 130-135.
Duchelle, A. E., Guariguata, M. R., Less, G., Albornoz, M. A., Chavez, A., & Melo, T. (2012). Evaluating the opportunities and limitations to multiple use of Brazil nuts and timber in Western Amazonia. Forest Ecology and Management, 268, 39-48.
Leng, C. Y., & Botelho, D. (2010). How does national culture impact on consumers decision-making styles? A cross cultural study in Brazil, the United States and Japan. BAR-Brazilian Administration Review, 7(3), 260-275.
Schneider, R. M. (2018). Brazil: culture and politics in a new industrial powerhouse: Routledge.
