The country chosen is Brazil and for several reasons. Brazil is the largest country in South America and also one of the richest in culture. It is known for being 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 a cultural vision of 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 communicate primarily through nonverbal methods such as body language, a person's status, or tone of voice. This manifests itself in many different ways in Brazilian society. A common feature is that people often converse at closer distances, it is more comfortable and acceptable that way. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay What languages ​​are spoken in Brazil? Portuguese is the primarily spoken language in Brazil, but Brazilian Sign Language is also communicated. There are also many dialects in Brazil, including Ticuna, spoken mainly in northern Brazil by indigenous people. How do you greet people in a social context? In Brazil, it is common for people to start greeting each other with a kiss on each cheek. Sometimes they may even give a third kiss depending on whether the woman is single. This is perfectly acceptable during social settings with people they are getting to know or already know. Are there gender differences when it comes to greetings? There are gender differences in how people greet, making exceptions to the common air-kissing gesture. The general rules of the socialized greeting are air kisses, gestures to be shared between a man and a woman, or a woman with a woman. Air kisses are usually not shared between two men and is considered strange due to a strong social stigma against homosexual men. How do you greet people in work environments? Although people often air kiss in social settings, in business settings this is not common or appropriate, and it is more customary to shake hands with every person you introduce yourself to. Business meetings take place more in informal settings such as over coffee or lunch. Business is also conducted with a lot of chatter and unrelated material. Is it considered rude to interrupt someone in the middle of a sentence? Interrupting other people during a conversation is considered normal and not rude at all. You will find it normal for people to constantly interrupt each other in work and social environments. In fact, it is actually a sign of admiration as people might use the interruption to empathize with the person they are conversing with. How should you dress for a work environment? What people wear during business environments is very important and people are always expected to dress formally or conservatively. This often reflects how you behave in business relationships. Even though business environments in Brazil are more casual than bars or restaurants, it is still very important to dress professionally to demonstrate that you intend to conduct business. Jeans, for example, are seen as completely unacceptable clothing for attending any type of business meeting. Women are also expected to have well-groomed hair and well-groomed nails. Is it considered polite to talk about business immediately after meeting? Why or why not? Given the text-heavy culture Brazil is in, it might be a little inappropriate to talk business right after meeting. TheBusiness opportunities can also sometimes be seen as an effort to take advantage of people, so trust may need to be developed for a business transaction to be conducted. Brazilians build trust through personal connections and are more willing to do business with someone they know well. Friendship can have a great influence on the way we do business together. Is eye contact considered polite? The eye contact made by people in Brazil can be interpreted in different ways. Generally, during clichés, brief eye contact is perfectly acceptable and normal in everyday life. Although there are some exceptions where maintaining eye contact may be appropriate. Those who are on duty (such as maids, cleaners, or assistants) may actually avoid eye contact with superiors or people of higher social status. Eye contact can also be avoided as a sign of respect towards elders or parents by children. How important is punctuality? Punctuality is not as important and there is a more relaxed attitude towards time. It is acceptable and common for people to arrive 15-30 minutes late to meetings or events. It's also common for people to cancel meetings or appointments at the last minute. How is silence used? Silence is a very important part of a Brazilian discussion. Emotions and expression are used more when there are communications during silence between people as it is a high context culture. This means that pauses and silences can mean a variety of things considering that people use a combination of gestures and facial expressions to add context. If you are invited to dinner or to your host's home, are you required to bring a gift, and if so, what kind? If you were to be invited home to Brazil, it may be customary to bring a gift to the person's home. To show appreciation for being invited, people often bring whiskey or wine and even send a bouquet of flowers home the day after the visit to demonstrate good friendship. What is the etiquette during meals? There is a lot to be said about the mannerisms of Brazilians at the table. When eating at a table, whenever there is someone who is not using cutlery, the wrists of their hands should be visible above the table. When eating the knife should be in the right hand and the fork in the left hand. Additionally, Brazilians commonly do not simultaneously change utensils while eating cutting and eating meat such as beef. What are some typical dishes of Brazil? If you were to give a gift to a potential business associate or partner, which gift is not culturally acceptable and why? Are there any colors, numbers or flowers that have a special meaning? If yes, please provide some examples. There are several ways in which colors, numbers and flowers have special meaning 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 have significance as they represent death and mourning, so they are best avoided when giving gifts. It is also customary to give flowers the day after visiting someone's home. What are the holidays like in Brazil? The carnival is known to be one of the largest parades in the world, celebrating the carnival 46 days before the Easter holiday. Carnival is said to have originated with Roman Catholics when they abstained from meat or alcohol to chase away bad things. Catholics would celebrate before the start of Lent by indulging in alcohol, parties and dancing as they would have to give up these things during the season.