Abstract
When looking at the cultures of both the United States and Brazil, their societies' core values, such as religion, gender roles, body language, and etiquette, these ideals must be met with an understanding of their history and background to maintain a healthy line communication between two or more individuals from these countries. Evidence shows that both countries share many similarities despite their individualistic and collectivistc culture and an understanding of ones own cultural intelligence can help solidify realtionships. To explore the thesis on cultural inteligence between the two nations, a comparative analysis of the values as mentioned earlier will be carried out, trying to clarify the internal relationships between them and taking into account essential pieces within the system of identities within Brazil and the United States Of America.
Introduction
In the era of deglobalisation, it has become crucial for individuals to collaborate effectively in addressing contemporary challenges. Our culture is shaped by factors such as geography, religion, gender, organizations, and upbringing. As global issues transcend cultural boundaries, we require leaders and individuals capable of bridging these divides. Cultural intelligence (CQ) is an extension of the study of intelligence quotient (IQ) and represents the ability to adapt to new cultural environments and function effectively within them. In our increasingly interconnected digital world, possessing CQ is more vital than ever. It is an indispensable skill set for successfully navigating culturally diverse situations and individuals, leading to fruitful outcomes in various workplace domains. Considering the United States and Brazil as examples, it is essential to approach their societies' core values—including religion, gender roles, body language, and etiquette—with an understanding of their historical and cultural contexts. This awareness fosters effective communication and nurtures the spirit of collaboration among individuals.
Cultural IQ
Professors Christopher Earley and Soon Ang conceptualize cultural intelligence as the individual ability to interact effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds. (P.C. Early & Ang, 2003) To achieve efficient intercultural communication, one must understand another culture's values to promote a respectful integration between cultural expressions. On a scale, cultural intelligence is measured similarly to an individual's intelligence quotient (IQ). Not to be confused with IQ, CQ is the natural progression of IQ. Those regarded to have high cultural intelligence (Brislin et al., 2006; Triandis, 2006) are consciously aware of others’ cultural preferences before and during interactions, questioning cultural assumptions and adjusting their mental outlook during and after social interactions. Overall, CQ assesses an individual ́s ability to appreciate and react appropriately to the diversity of a foreign cultural experience.
Not many individuals that are familiar with Brazil know that the national language is, in fact Portuguese and not Spanish. Even fewer know that Brazil has outpaced many nations in traditional gender work roles by electing a female president - Dilma Rousseff. While some Americans may recognize that Brazil has a vibrant economy, many would still define Brazil as a developing rural nation. Brazil has much more to offer than meets the eye, as a nation that shares some inner cultural values with that of the United States.
History
Although the United States is considered a young nation globally, Brazil is even younger, as Brazilian independence occurred nearly a half-century after the United States(1822). Aside from this separation of time, Brazil and the United States are also divided geographically by many Central American nations and vast terrain. These separations of time and space have created two distinct countries in terms of culture and structure, even more so than other Latin American countries.
American history is based on the formation of the 13 colonies from earlier European settlers seeking safety and liberation from taxation away from the royal crown in Europe. At the same time, Brazilian history is a consequence of the different migrations to South American territory, where Portuguese colonization took a significant part in its identity. Early colonizers in Brazil were primarily interested in finding valuable goods to bring home. Both nations took part in the Transatlantic slave trade, with the first enslaved people from Africa arriving in 1538. (Rout, L. B. 1976) By the end of the 19th century in Brazil, the population became mainly of mixed ancestry with a broad spectrum of skin colors.
To this add on, later in the years, a large stream of Asian immigrants caused Brazil to have even higher levels of population admixture. Throughout much of its history, Brazilian culture has emphasized the color of skin over racial identity because of the complex racial ancestry of many Brazilians. In a single-family, an observer may see family members belonging to two or more races or skin colors. Compared with the predominance of a binary distinction between Black and White in the United States, Brazilians have long recognized mixed racial ancestry. This is not to imply that there is no racism in Brazil. Rather, racial identification, and thus racial preferences and group sanctions, are not as strong as in America. (Mitchell, C. et al. 2010)
Demographics
Brazilian politics may suffer from minor corruption is in many ways, more in line with first-world nations, through the utilization of a democratic government. As determined by the Constitution of Brazil, the political structure closely models the American system of the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches. However, unlike the United States, Brazil has multiple political parties, well over a dozen making it impossible for one party to dominate or govern in isolation. (Branco, 2014)
Also, unlike the United States, voting is required between the ages of eighteen and sixty-four and optional for citizens aged 16 and 17, older than 70, or illiterate. Brazil is the 5th largest country globally, making it more prominent than the United States land-wise. The Brazilian population is actually smaller at some 210 million compared to 320 million in the United States. (Owuor, S. 2020) Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in South America and comprises about half of the continent’s area. Although America does not have an official language, American English is spoken by most people.
About 86% of the Brazilian population lives in an urban area compared to 82.3% in the United States. (London, E., & Economist Publications Staff. 2014) With Brazil having successfully weathered a period of global financial difficulty in the late 20th century, under President Luiz Inacio LULA da Silva (2003-2010) Brazil became seen as one of the world's strongest emerging markets and a contributor to global growth. The awarding of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the first-ever in South America, was symbolic for its citizens as the mark of the country's rise.
Individualistic and Collectivist
Americans, by and large, have one of the most individualistic cultures on the planet. They are much more likely to prioritize themselves than the group; independence and autonomy are highly valued. So ingrained is this concept in the American social imaginary that most come to express this as a free nation. In a cultural context, individualistic and collectivist cultures simply refer to how individuals define themselves in a group context. This does not refer to the political or social systems of a country or its ideologies. ( Rosenbaum, A. 2018) Brazilians, on the other hand, are regarded to maintain a collectivist culture, one that there is a group identity (we) with expressive communication amongst each other, and an emphasis is placed on family.
American work culture values an individual who approaches a task conscientiously and works studiously towards competition. Social psychologists use the term "achievement motivation" to describe what appears to be the intention underlying US American behavior. Other American core values are a hard work ethic, achievements in various arenas, and time as a resource. Brazilians simply view time as something around them, not something that can be used as a commodity. (University Of Portland. 2021)
It’s not recommended to rush the relationship-building process with Brazilians. To foster a stronger relationship, Americans(or foreigners) would do wise to wait for the other person to discuss about business topics and instead focus on the social aspect. Before work can start effectively, Brazilians prefer to know who they are engaging in business. Expect to spend time negotiating with Brazilians, as there is a greater importance to understanding the individual they’re dealing with than the company. As Brazilians become more comfortable doing a business transaction after getting to know someone, questions about the company are expected to arise. Here detailed contracts and information will be proven to be very valuable, along with face-to-face meetings over written communication. (Veras, E. Z, et al. 2011)
Religion
The United States of America is a large, diverse, and increasingly cosmopolitan nation since it is among the three countries that receive the most immigrants each year.(OECD. 2022) This population growth has led to a diverse cast of beliefs in the religious sphere. Officially, the nation recognizes itself without an official religion since its founding (separation of church and state) and places significant importance on laws concerning religious freedom and expression.
Although the united states do not officially recognize a national religion, Christianity has a huge influence on American history & everyday life. The majority of the American population practices Christianity or some of its branches (Protestant, Evangelic, Mainline, Historically Black, Catholic-Orthodox Christian, Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, just to mention the largest Christian branches). However, the last decade has shown that changes are taking place across the American religious landscape as the Christian memebership fell from 78.4% to 70.6%, driven mainly by declines among mainline Protestants and Catholics. (Wormald, B. 2021) The United States is also home to other more prominent non-Christian faiths like Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and other world religions.
Within the Brazilian identity itself, religion plays a primordial role since the nation stands out as one of the most religious countries in the world. So many and so diverse is the affiliation of its inhabitants. There is no longer an official religion, allowing membership of different religious groups in a climate of tolerance and respect. The Roman Catholic Church stands as the most commonly practiced religion in Brazil, but also Protestantism has been one of the fastest-growing religions in the country. Small groups of Protestants are scattered throughout the nation; this practice is followed by others deeply rooted in the population, such as the Mormon Church (Saraiva, 2021). However, the Brazilian cultural and religious spectrum is permeated and enriched by other beliefs due to the ethnic groups of Afro-Brazilian origin. In this conglomerate, the two most popular sects are the Umbanda, and Candomble practices, which are vital references to the religious syncretism manifested in America after the colonization process.
According to a survey from official sources, 50% of the population identify as Catholic, 31% as evangelical Chrisitan, 11% irreligious (includes atheists, agnostics) and 3% are spiritist and 2% are of Afro-brazilian religions. On the other hand, there are multitudes of the population who state they are Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and other indigenous religious groups. (Brazil, United States Department of State 2021) Brazil exhibits the same tolerance for religious expression as does the United States. There is no official religion, and the government takes a very neutrual stance on the matter. Granted both countries have experienced violence against members of the religous communities though steps to mitigate those heinous acts have been put in place by both government and the police.
In Brazil, new possibilities for women are growing considerably. A development has made it possible for women's movements to track similar trends in the United States and other European countries. This has resulted in a change in the ideologies of roles in the male community (Renata Gukovas, 2016). However, despite the fact, Brazil still constitutes a highly patriarchal society, with machismo still a typical attitude among men. Moreover, men are typically in positions of power and control in the public and private spheres. (Brazilian Culture. 2022) Sexual harassment has been prevalent though; this is fading as women obtain more significant positions of power, dispelling the traditional gender stereotypes. Traditional family roles are very much present, with the wife expected to be docile handling home chores while men are regarded as the head of the household.
On the other hand, gender roles in the United States have changed significantly after the 1960s and 1970s, with the arrival of the different feminist movements and gender studies. Since the mid-20th century, a dramatic change has taken place in gender relations in the United States, as illustrated by women ́s labor force participation tremendous rise as women became much more college educated. College graduates quadrupled while salary and time worked increased. (Women in the labor force, 2021)
Due to feminist activism, gender stereotypes are politically incorrect. A belief in gender equality is expected in America, blending home roles and dual incomes is much more common in American families. This trend is increasing the positioning of women within the greater framework of American life and in the media, at times playing a lead role beyond the traditional context. Individuals would do very well being mindful of the gender roles from either cultures when communicating.
Communication
Verbal and nonverbal communication are the two primary modes of interaction in the communication process anywhere. The first, being language is for the expression of ideas and conveying messages. While, non-verbal communication is made up of body language cues, tone of voice, eye gaze and various other gestures. Attention to that issue is essential since each culture has different communication codes.
To avoid misunderstandings or disagreements in the verbal communicative relations between Americans and Brazilians, certain characteristics of dialogue from each of these nations must be understood. For example, it is known that Americans like to deliver precise messages, in formal situations and their ideas are express clearly. This does not mean Americans work without courtesy in communication. In comparison, Brazilians tend to be very charismatic and expressive when starting a conversation. Brazilians can be very expressive and emotive in their communication. At times, they may interrupt others when speaking when overcome by their passion or interest in the conversation topic.
A study carried out by Marisa de Lima shows that the individualism from the American culture shows distinct behaviors in speech between the two cultures. Brazilian Portuguese speakers need to justify and give reasons for the compliments received. Take as an example a compliment: “That was a great presentation. I really enjoyed it.” A typical reply is: “Thanks, it took me a long time to prepare it.” Americans on the other hand would prefer to give a simple ́thank you ́ 47.46% times more than Brazilian Portuguese speakers. (Zanella, 2017, p. 218). On the other hand, it is observed that Brazilian discourse is fundamentally based on strategies of explanation when they receive compliments while showing less rejection towards it’s compared to the Americans. In this regard, the author states that it could be related to the relevance of the family-oriented society in Brazil; unlike the American culture, which is more oriented toward individualism.
It has also been noted that Americans are somewhat infamous for displaying a sort of superficial friendliness, as regarded by the statement "How ya doing?" (That is "How are you doing?" or "How are you?") This behavior does not reflect a special interest in the person addressed, but rather a concern for showing that speaker is a regular person.
In a dialogue context, it is important to pay attention to ones body language because it represents a significant aspect when communicating. (Rakel, 2016) When it comes to interaction between people from the United States and Brazil, elements such as the physical distance used (the proxemic) must be taken into account. Americans like to have large and well-defined personal spaces, which is a characteristic of Anglo-Saxon culture concerning distance relationships. Brazilians maintain shorter physical distances between speakers because they belong to "marked physical contact," such as the Latin American culture. These conclusions are supported by other behaviors, such as developing tactile functions as a tool for expression, for example, hugging patting on the shoulders. It is known that the Latin American community (within it, the Brazilian) is considerably more tactile (they use touch, physical contact) than in the North American culture.
At the same time, it is essential to know that the tone and formality of the language depend on the context in which communication takes place for both cultures. Likewise, in work environments, communicators are expected to adopt upright posturein work environments s since this represents trust and seriousness and pays attention to what is exposed.
In conclusion, the examples would be innumerable, considering the diversity of expressions in both Brazil & America due to these regions' multiethnic and cultural diversity in the general sense. The cultures in both nations are diverse, though they do share many similarities. Individuals working with those from the United States can foster happy relationships with great enthusiasm. Likewise, Brazilian influences emphasize touch for togetherness and a social attitude in general settings to help seal arrangements. A respectful approach, motivated by positive dialogue between cultures and recognition of differences, is an invaluable tool for developing academic, business, health, and educational activities today.
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