Assessing Brazil's culture of peace.

Abstract

Visitors are amazed by their first impressions of Brazil. Foreigners have always received a warm welcome. Ethnic mixture has taken place with a frequency and intensity incomparable to that of other countries. The same language is spoken nationwide. During Carnival, people from all socioeconomic classes dance and frolic together without distinction. Cordiality, informality, and spontaneity appear to be Brazilian traits. But this is only a part of a bigger, more complex picture that, unfortunately, also encompasses a variety of serious problems, some easily detected by a visitor and some demanding a deeper analysis of the socioeconomic context of the country. In contrast to idealized images, often reinforced by state-subsidized advertising, there are difficulties that demand crucial analysis and efficient political and cultural actions. This article uses the template suggested by de Rivera (2004/this issue) to make an analysis of Brazil's culture of peace. Although our analysis is mostly qualitative, whenever possible we refer our observations to the template's objective indicators.Whether due to its vast size, economic importance, population, abundance of fresh water, the Amazon rain forest, or its success in professional soccer (being the world's only five-time World Cup champion), Brazil enjoys an outstanding position on the planetary scene. In the minds of many-including numerous Brazilians-it is the land of "racial harmony," a nation of "cordial people" who live in peace.In many countries, the desire for peace arose from the intense suffering produced by harsh wars or by the risk of a nuclear conflict. In Brazil, the peace movement arose from the growth and spread of urban and rural violence, particularly when violence and crime began to victimize middle and upper social classes in large urban areas.

Cultural differences in dynamic decision-making strategies in a non-linear, time-delayed task

“…The changing strategy is adaptive in situations and environments that are rapidly changing and that require fast decision making. Brazilians have often been described as impulsive and spontaneous (Levine, Norenzayan, & Philbrick, 2001;Milani & Uchoa Branco, 2004) and present oriented, which could explain the use of a more ad hoc strategy that is changed relatively often depending on how the situation develops. The Filipino macro-cultural context is relatively unstable.…”

Cultura De Paz, Moralidade E Virtudes Cívicas: Contribuições Da Psicologia Cultural

“…De acordo com a perspectiva sociocultural construtivista da psicologia cultural, o contexto sociocultural em que a pessoa está inserida atua de forma fundamental na construção dos mais diversos conceitos, valores e padrões de interação (Branco, 2006;Rogoff, 2005;Valsiner, 2007), podendo gerar sujeitos agressivos ou pacíficos, a depender da prevalência de práticas violentas, ou de cooperação, entre as pessoas. Em outras palavras, um contexto cultural que valorize a paz de forma concreta tende a gerar pessoas comprometidas com a paz, e vice-versa (Milani & Branco, 2004). Isto porque o conceito de "paz" não pode ser visto apenas do ponto de vista teórico, ou ideal, mas deve ser analisado em termos das práticas culturais concretas para a resolução de problemas, que levam a ações específicas.…”

Processo de socialização e promoção da Cultura de Paz na perspectiva de policiais militares

“…De acordo com a Psicologia Cultural, o contexto cultural que valoriza a paz de forma concreta tende a gerar pessoas a ela comprometidas, e vice-versa (Milani & Branco, 2004). Isso porque o conceito de paz não pode ser visto apenas do ponto de vista teórico ou ideal, mas analisado em termos das práticas culturais concretas para a resolução de problemas.…”