The influence on the organization of Brazilian families

This cultural diversity has had a significant impact on Brazilian family organization, which can be distinguished in modern times into two different models.
The first group is based on the African roots (the African slaves who were present for a long time from 1500 to 1850). They all came from various African cultural groups with diverse systems such as matriarchal, patriarchal, polygamous, with different religions, languages and rituals. Many families in the North-East of Brazil have their family systems shaped by their slave background and are still part of the low-income class. The most shocking aspect is that this class has severed their family bonds, because during the slavery period they were sold from their "owners" and the family members were separated.


The second model is a traditional one based on a patriarchal system and shaped by Iberian people alongside those of African origin. In 1889, the Republic launched a restructuration of the family system. A new family system was built for the white families with European Catholic backgrounds, where social control and clear morals were predetermined. During the 19th century the government tried to attract white immigrants from Europe including Spain, Italy, Germany and in particular Northern European countries like Finland, in order to prosper the country economically. The religious influence is clearly evident as well as Brazil today in the largest Catholic country in the world. Brazil wanted its independence from Portugal in 1882, however that did not mean that the minority European elite would stop dominating the Brazilian political system. Rather it took a much longer time, after World War II, for Brazil to follow a pattern of assimilation. The 2nd and 3rd generation settled and became economically stronger which allowed for a real Brazilian identity to take shape and a common language to be established.

Nowadays Brazil shares a national culture, "making Brazil a trues case of unity in diversity"[http://www.wwu.edu/culture/DennenTorres.htm]. Whether it's the language, the religion or the law constitution, Brazil, the 5th largest country in the world by geography and its people insist that they are unique, self-contained "race" separate of the rest of Latin America.