Portugal’s Culture and Heritage

Culture is responsible for the salient contrasts which can be observed between the behavioural patterns of people from diverse communities. Thus any form of disregard towards varied cultural patterns would result in the underestimation of the strengths as well as depths of cultural disparities (Januário & Guerra, 2017). World culture tends to emphasise on the enrichment of societal functions as a whole through the development of cultural horizons. In the era of global awareness attaining knowledge about other cultures, beliefs and perceptions are fundamentally important to make well-informed decisions and achieve cultural insights (Guerra, Silva & Santos,  2015). The following paper will argue on the wide-ranging cultural patterns and significance of Portuguese culture, beliefs and language in the contemporary world. In addition to this, it will further emphasise the rest of the world has perceived the way culture of Portugal.

Portugal is recognized as a predominantly Roman Catholic nation with an integrated family ethic. Portugal’s enriched cultural outcomes from varied influences involving Celtic, Germanic, Viking, and Sephardic Jewish and Moorish. However, in current decades, the nation has been experiencing revitalization in the arts, and the capitals of Lisbon, Porto and Guimarães have all been chosen as the European Capitals of Culture (Januário & Guerra, 2017). In Portugal, culture and heritage possess unique characteristics emerging from historical events as well as the perception of people. According to Gray, (2017), the country’s affluent civilization dating back to prehistoric times have been perceived in the vibrant Celtic-influenced tradition of the North in the Moorish-influenced Fado music, idealistic language, painting and unique architecture that have spread its culture across the world ever since the age of discovery as well as its intriguing history.

However, in recent times, Portugal has developed as a stable nation that is well integrated into the European Union. Portugal has attained a significant position among countries with ‘very high human development’ and consideration in prospective years will emphasize on bringing the country’s level of skilled jobs as well as educational success closer to the European average (Campos, Gamallo & Alegria, 2018). Panke, (2016) has revealed that in 1998 Lisbon hosted the World Fair Expo 98 that lead to significant infrastructure along with urban regeneration projects. Portugal has eventually adopted the Euro as its official currency alongside ten other countries of the European Union. However, regardless of the current economic and financial challenges of the Eurozone that has posed critical impacts on the country, Portugal recently is emerging as a country progressing towards the future while never overlooking or disregarding its long and remarkable past (Gray, 2017). The country’s valuable art, language, literature and architecture have significantly contributed to the Portuguese character. These attributes and distinctiveness, however, reflect in cities, monuments as well as landscapes which in their way articulate a part of the history of the world (Faulkner & Liz, 2016).

Portuguese Literature and Language

At this juncture, Gray, (2017) has revealed that Portuguese literature significantly developed in the 12th century mainly from the expressive works of scholars like “the Poet King “Dom Denis who noted mostly from the oral customs and customs which were sung by troubadours. However, in the 16th Century, Gil Vicente introduced drama to the field of Portuguese literature including subjects drawn from events occurring in modern lives. Campos, Gamallo and Alegria, (2018) have further revealed that 20th Century gained immense prominence in the 20th Century for its lyric poetry with substantial work of renowned lyric poet Fernando Pessoa who used various names such as Ricardo Reis and Bernardo Soares facilitating him to articulate in varied styles. Furthermore, drawing significance to the origin of literature, França et al., (2017) have reflected on the vibrancy the language of Portugal has offered to its dynamic culture and heritage. As Portuguese reflects immense idealism, it has its impact on other languages around the world. The Portuguese language has dramatically leveraged the lingua brasílica that is identified as a Tupi–Guarani language. Portuguese further posed significant influences on the language spoken around Sikka in Flores Island, Indonesia (Campos, Gamallo & Alegria, 2018).

The period during 14th to the 16th century had been recognised as the time of great discoveries for Portugal. However, Portugal has become a diversified cultural domain after its alliance with the European community in 1986. It was during this period over the past two decades success of governments have privatized several state control organisations and further liberalized essential areas of the economy including the financial and telecommunication sectors of Portugal (Smith et al., 2016). However, a significant cultural dimension can be witnessed while analysing the cultural factors of Portugal with another important Western Society of Sweden.

Uncertainty avoidance dimension has set Portugal and Sweden in opposite ends of the Continuum whereby Portugal is positioned in the second place with a score of 29 and Sweden has attained 49 out of 15 with the score of 104 out of 43 countries. However according to Faulkner and Liz, (2016), this dimension it has been stated that the Swedish being in touch with Portuguese working Ambience develops a sense of Portuguese needs and applications to pursue all kinds of rules and regulations. However, witnessing Portugal and its high uncertainty avoidance rate can pull out of the country for significant discoveries. Furthermore, high uncertainty avoidance in such a case can be explained by the significant historical background of the country which involved dictatorship (Gray, 2017).

Portugal’s Recent Developments

Individualism versus collectivism dimensions- This dimension has positioned Sweden into the first and Portugal to the third last of all countries by signifying that Sweden possesses a higher degree of individualism in comparison to Portugal (Januário & Guerra, 2017). However, such disparity emerges specifically during family issues and also while establishing any form of socialization with friends or alliances.

Masculinity versus femininity- The fourth dimension of masculinity versus femininity observed an integrated approach between Portugal and Sweden whereby both signify feminine cultural patterns with scores of 31 and 5. However, as per Kharenko, Dyshkantiuk and Ivychuk, (2018), this region is identified as the most feminine nation it could develop as a fact that Swedish people would still create a sense of some masculine perceptions in values prevailing to all Portuguese mentality. However, in the societal structure, the primary difference lied on the level of importance of power that is based on positions or titles. Furthermore, the propensity to view Portugal with a lower rate of women in higher areas in comparison to Sweden opened important avenues for Sweden to identify Portugal as a masculine society (Smith et al., 2016). Furthermore, another significant aspect of the dimension of femininity versus masculinity joining the cross-cultural encounters between Sweden and Portuguese have significantly related to the area of concern regarding shipment and quality of life. Further to this Campos, Gamallo and Alegria, (2018) have stated that Sweden can be recognised for its high-level of consciousness related to environment and quality of life whereby Portugal has still been positioned at the poorest old nations of the European Union.

The Portuguese colonization of Brazil and the Anglo-Portuguese coalition are regarded to be highly crucial for Brazil’s history. Studies conducted by author reveal that Portuguese culture and influence spread throughout the nation through language, traditions, customs and lifestyle. Furthermore, the extent of the impact which Portuguese culture had on Brazilian society had been so extensive that it resulted Portuguese to be the official language of Brazil (Campos, Gamallo & Alegria, 2018). Such a transition instigated once the Portuguese made landfall in Brazil by opening avenues for other Europeans to Brazil. Furthermore, author stated that these mixing races have substantially aided to the rich cultural diversity which Brazil exemplifies in every facet of its nation.

However, an influence exerted by the works of Japanese culture had been highly substantial. This extent, however, had been anticipated to be extensive for the prohibition of Christianity along with the extinction of the Press in 1614 (França et al., 2017). Furthermore, at this juncture, it is important to know that Portugal formerly had constituted a vast empire along with the cuisine which influenced a wide range of societies across the world. Kharenko, Dyshkantiuk a Ivychuk, (2018) have revealed that the Portuguese cultural influence has been strongly recognised in Brazilian cuisine which characterized its versions of Portuguese dishes such as ‘feijoada’ and fish stew. However, during the 1500’s, the Portuguese trade ships reached the shores of Japan and further introduced refined sugar which was highly valued there as a luxury item (Lechner, 2016). Such attachment in trade facilitated a wide range of Japanese traders to experience the Portuguese confectionery which was refurbished with the traditional Japanese candy and sponge cake.

Portugal’s Cultural Dimensions Compared to Sweden

Conclusion

Hence to conclude, it has been stated that Portuguese immigrants also have been observed to play a decisive role in lessening of their new ‘homelands’ like Hawaii and certain parts of New England whereby the sausages and bean soup have been eaten on a regular basis in the Hawaiian Islands by families of diverse ethnic background. Furthermore in Australia variations of Portuguese-style chicken have been sold fundamentally in fast food outlets which have become extremely renowned in the past two decades. Such a significant influence has also been observed by the African cuisine that has been held accountable for introducing corn in the African continent.

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