Publisher description for Communicating with Brazilians : when "yes" means "no" / Tracy Novinger.
Bibliographic record and links to related information available from the Library of Congress catalog
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Brazilians are gracious, friendly, fun-loving people, which makes their country a very inviting place to visit for pleasure or business. So great is their cordiality that Brazilians will say "yes" to almost any request--even when they actually mean "no"--which can be quite confusing for U.S. visitors who are used to a more direct style of communication. In fact, as Americans spend time in Brazil, they discover a number of cultural differences that can hamper their communication with Brazilians. To overcome these barriers, this book analyzes Brazilian culture and modes of communication and compares them with their American counterparts to help Americans learn to communicate successfully with Brazilians and vice versa.
To aid Americans in understanding the Brazilian perspective, Tracy Novinger presents a portrait of Brazil's history, racial fusion, economy, and contemporary lifestyles. She focuses in on many aspects of Brazilian culture, such as social organization and ranking systems
preconceptions, worldviews, and values
sexual behaviors and eating customs
thought patterns
nonverbal communication such as the use of time, space, gestures, touch, eye contact, rituals, etc.
and differences in Brazilian and American point-making styles when negotiating, persuading, and conversing. For quick reference, she concludes the book with a summary and checklist of the leading Brazilian cultural characteristics, as well as eight recommendations for enhancing intercultural communication.
Library of Congress subject headings for this publication: Nonverbal communication Brazil, Intercultural communication