Education in Brazil

 Education

In Brazil, if one has a job, they are considered middle class. One will be able to attend school and have an Education. With Education, one will be able to get a higher pay job and therefore further their studies in university.

However, if one is jobless in Brazil, they are considered lower class and could not afford to attend private schools to get an Education. With no basic Education, they would not gain a entry in the university.

The Education and Social Class of Brazil has a direct relationship as shown in the descriptions above.

Brazilian schools are generally underfinanced and overcrowded. In order to cope with the large number of students, children attend classes either in the evening or in the morning.

Middle-and upper-class students mostly attend higher-level institutions of education. Places are limited and entrance exams are very difficult.

Leisure Programs in Brazil

Activities


On the Beach 

Brazilians love to play beach soccer and party on their beautiful beaches

Picutre from riodejaneiro beach

Copacabana beach has over 4kms of pristine, spotless, wide white sand to relax on and is among the top 10 most famous beach in the world.

Picutre from riodejaneiro beach

Activities on Copacabana beach include volleyball, water sports and all night partying! Copacabana is also the home of futevolei: foot volleyball. 

Jungle treks

Picture from photographer direct

The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest biological reserve. It contains one-third of all living species on the earth and is crossed by 10 of the world’s 20 largest rivers, including the River Amazon (the largest river in the world). The usual base for trips to the Amazon is the city of Manaus, where numerous tour operators can arrange anything from standard day trips to month-long expeditions to more remote areas. It is best to hire a local guide (trips without guides are only allowed on certain tails.)


Festivals

Festa de Lemanja (Festival of lemanja) is a celebration on the 1^st January in Rio de Janeiro by followers of the Candomble religion.

Thousands of worshippers line the beach at Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro to give thanks to the goddess of the seas. They wear white and offer flowers and gifts by placing them in the sea.

Brazil has an enormous tradition for its carnivals and celebrations, again representing the fusion of African, Portuguese and native Indian cultures.

The Festas Juninas (June Festivals) are a series of festivals celebrated all over Brazil, in honour of the three saints, Santo Antonio (St. Anthony on 13 June), Sao Joao (St. John, on 24 June) and Sao Pedro (St. Peter, on 29 June). The traditional feasts of Santo Antonio and Sao Pedro are getting less popular, however, the fest of Sao Joao remains very popular these days. It is celebrated with music, dances and drinking of hot wine around a bonfire, which is usually lit immediately after sunset. The other popular tradition would be the letting loose of small hot air balloons made of paper, which contains messages and wishes. When the balloon rises, people believed that it will be fulfilled.

Natal is Brazil’s Christmas. It is celebrated similarly as other Catholic countries. Households put up Christmas trees and nativity scenes from 24^th December to 6^th January. However, recent decades, households put up the nativity scenes at the beginning of December.

The main Christmas event is the Ceia de Natal (Christmas dinner), one of Brazil’s most festive meals. A turkey dinner served after the midnight and presents are exchanged after the dinner.


Independence Day (September 7) Dom Pedro officially declared Brazil's independence from Portugal on this day in 1822.


Our Lady of Aperecida Day (October 12) Nossa Senhora de Aperecida is the patron saint of Brazil and this national holiday in Brazil is dedicated to her.

What is the Brazil known for?

There are different perspectives in terms of the top five of what is Brazil known for. Here is the top five in my perspective after my research.

1) The Brazilian Carnival (known as Carnaval in Portuguese)

“The year doesn’t begin until after Carnaval” –Brazilian expression

Brazil carnivals are one of the biggest reasons tourists flock to the country year after year

In 1641, the first celebration of Carnaval in Brazil took place in the honour of the coronation of Dom Joao IV as king of Portugal.

Brazillian Carnaval is famous all around the world as the world’s largest and most festive parties anywhere in the world. In Brazil, carnival is the most popular Brazilian festivity, far beyond Christmas, Easter or New Year celebrations. Only the Rio de Janeiro New Year's Eve rivals with Carnival. It is a must to attend the Brazilian carnival at least once in your life!

2) Soccer is known as futebol in Brazil. Soccer is a national obsession. 

Here is a video on why Brazil is known for it's soccer skills.

Soccer, which in introduced by Britain, have influenced Brazilians greatly, they combined dancing with soccer and created the good Brazilian soccer skills that people world-wide are learning.

3) Jesus statue in Rio de Janeiro - Christ the Redeemer is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

The statue is 120 ft tall and has a weight of 635 tones. It is now a part of the new Seven Wonders of the World. It is located in the Corcovado Mountain which is at a peak of 700 meters i.e. 2,300 feet in the Tujuca forest National Park overlooking the city. The statue is made of concrete and soapstone. As a symbol of Christianity, it has become an important icon of Brazil, with Jesus Christ appearing to open his arms wide to embrace the entire city below.

4) The Amazon, world largest country to have. Brazil contains approximately 60% of the Amazon rainforest. 

http://discoverbrazil.com

The Amazon represents over half of the planet's remaining rainforests, and it comprises the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world. 
It attracts eco-tourists and nature lovers every year. It is a fascinating view as compared to all the sky scrappers in the cities these days.


The Amazon rainforest was short-listed in 2008 as a candidate to one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature by the New Seven Wonders of the World Foundation.

5) Samba and Capoeira. Brazil is a country of mixed ethnicities however, it seems the African influenced parts of the culture such as Capoeira and the Samba have reached more notoriety on an international basis. 

Capoeira is an African art form that combines elements of martial arts, music, and dance. It was created in Brazil by the African slaves. It, as well as the Samba music and dance have made their way into various movies, documentaries, music videos, and other main stream media.

Disneyfication of Brazil!

Disneyfication

Disneyization comprises of five aspects; theming, hybrid consumption, merchandising, performative labour and control & surveillance.

In this case, Brazil uses the aspects of merchandising for its soccer. 

Their soccer is used as a marketing tool by a few sports company and their skills of soccer is now, learn world-wide by soccer fans and lovers.
Products of the Brazil soccer team is seen in the market these days too.

Joga Bonito means to Play Beautiful, Brazilians started playing soccer on the streets and the world now know joga bonito.

Defination found here!


Playing with skills is associated with Brazil. Singapore hosted the beach soccer and the winner of the tournament gets to play with the brazil beach soccer team. This can be inferred that Brazil’s way of playing soccer is disneyfied.

This is a video of joga bonito showing the brazilian skills and their love for soccer as they play with honor and with their heart.


Joga bonito is about playing with a flair, style and heart. This is what Brazilians does very well. Brazil soccer team plays with a flair, style and heart too. They are some how sold to the world as a “product”
These attributes are a product of joga bonito which is the theme of brazilian soccer.


Next aspect identified of Brazil is the asepect of Theme. 
The Carnival and Samba music and dance is greatly known by the world that its origins is from Brazil.


Their Carnival is the identified example as it attracts millions of tourists yearly and it is the national ethos because it plays to many of the dualities in Brazilian life: wealth and poverty, African and European, female and male.


Carnival is a four-day extravaganza marked by parades of costumed dancers. The amazing atmosphere of the carnival retains visitors longer and draws them back yearly. The carnival is a product sold while the hospitality of the Brazilians is the service sold to visitors.


Carnival therefore is disneyfied and able to draw visitors back to Rio de Janeiro every year. However, you can see Brazil's Carnival in other countries too.


Eg. San Diego Brazil Mardi Gras Carnival 2010.
A combination of Carnivals in, San Diego. It highlights the Brazilian Carnival and dance!

Picture from http://www.brazilcarnival.com/

This shows that the theme of Brazilian's Carnival is disneyfied in San Diego.

Picture from http://www.lutaluta.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

Also, the the theme of Carnival is disneyfied together as a whole with the identification of Brazilians. 

Changes of Brazil that brought about by the growth of tourism.

Brazil was discovered by portugal and was under portuguese rule for many years. However, many other countries wanted this rich in brazilwood trading country in the 15th to 16th century. France, Dutch and Spain.

The country of Brazil can be liked in a simmering pot, almost ready to boil over. The colorful culture and effervescence of the people create an energy that makes Brazil a popular destination for many tourists each year.

Since the mid 20^th century, millions of migrants have arrived in the cities from the impoverished states of the North-east, in search of a better life. Today, about 84 per cent of Brazil’s population lives in cities. Rio de Janeiro had 1.1million inhabitants in 1920 and is today a mega-city of 6.1million people.

Due to it’s rich diversity of culture and ethnicity, Brazil attracted culture tourists whom wants to understand and feel the hospitability of Brazilians.

With the upcoming football World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro raising the country’s international profile as a tourist destination. Brazil will definitely gain more tourist receipts.

Though Brazil’s profile is raised by tourism, there are still problems holding the sector back. Brazil has a lack of sufficient infrastructure and has limited the tourist numbers and has resulted in a degree of instability with tourist numbers fluctuating year to year.

Brazil’s tourism focus more on promoting their culture and festivals such as Carnival. As it is a seasonal event, tourists arrivals therefore fluctuates from quarter to quarter of the year too.

The Positive Economic Impact

Tourism has brought about a positive impact for Brazil, as revenue will be generated from the events and festivals that Brazil has. A higher tourist arrivals results to better economy, which leads to the better standard of living too.

The Negative Economic Impact

Due to the fluctuation of tourist arrivals, business owners have difficulty in planning the growth of the business. Seasonality of tourism affects the country’s economy as a whole.

The social-cultural impacts

As tourism starts to boost, Brazil attracts various tourists. Some of them are cultural tourists, special interest tourism and the eco tourists who will visit the Amazon.

There are both positive and negative socio-cultural impacts for Brazil due to tourism.

The positive impact - for Brazilians in the cities, they will feel proud of their country and a strong sense of belonging because tourists are visiting their country to appreciate the Brazilian culture. This allows the local Brazilians to have a sense of pride for their own culture.

The Negative impact - affects the indigenous people their homeland and sacred place are destroyed or interrupted. Their ways of life are changed due to their environment being destroyed as their lands are transformed into tourism sites. The revenue generated from their homeland are not benefiting them but the government are keeping it. Therefore, their lifestyle is changed due to tourism but they gain no economic benefit from it.

Also, tourism gave rise to inhumane tourism such as child sex tourism. Research shown that after Thailand, Brazil has second-largest number of underage prostitutions. Through low quality of job, the income gap is widen between the rich and poor too.

The environmental impact

Positive – Tourism gave rise to the awareness of Brazil’s beautiful Amazon.

With tourism, people start to notice the beautiful Amazon Brazil has and learn that it has to be preserved. Tourism attracted eco tourists, sustainable tourist.

Negative – Due to the rise of tourist arrivals, Natural habitats and lands will be transformed to build accommodations. Also, more tourists coming in results in more pollution caused.

Tourism, a culprit of Commodification?

Commodification (or commoditization) is the transformation of goods and services or things that may not normally be regarded as goods or services.

Eg. In this picture, it shows that the “Brazil Carnival” is being sold as a performance to public who wants to have private parties.

This shows that the culture of Brazil is commodified. Instead of the free entry in Brazil Carnival, it is now sold overseas like Australia as a commercialize good.

There are various factors into commodifying cultures and traditions. 

However, tourism is main factor in commodifying cultures and traditions as tourism give rise to the country’s culture and tradition. Business opportunities therefore is enlarged by different means in trying to sell culture to people who do not want to travel far and spend that high amount of money.

Another factor could be the government as they are more concern of the revenue generated from tourism and the revenue is not used wisely in terms of developing their country’s socio-cultural issues and culture.

Commodification allows people to stay in their comfort zone and still able to see and experience different country’s culture and tradition in their homeland. This may cause a drop in the tourist arrivals as people would not need to travel half way round the world as their homeland provides their needs.

In addition, the Internet also plays a part, people can easily access Internet to see and experience culture with the innovative, interactive media.