Machisma
November 1, 2011 12:46 PM Subscribe
Machisma: How a mix of female empowerment and steamy soap operas helped bring down Brazil’s fertility rate and stoke its vibrant economy.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Poster's Request -- Brandon Blatcher
That's a fascinating article. It looks like Brazil has caught up to the US in the 80s, in a lot of ways, but with modern technology. Things should get interesting from here on out. I wonder what their tech base is like? Brazil's definitely the up-and-coming country in terms of online gaming - they have pirated servers of just about everything. No one's officially made them a priority yet, but World of Warcraft is on its way and I'm sure others will follow. If they have the education available, they may turn into a real powerhouse.
posted by restless_nomad at 1:38 PM on November 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by restless_nomad at 1:38 PM on November 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
Ten, twenty years from now it really seems like we'll be talking about Brazil in the same way China is spoken of now (and Japan was in the 80's). Rapidly growing GDP and industrial base, soon to take over the world, etc. etc.
posted by Orange Pamplemousse at 1:42 PM on November 1, 2011
posted by Orange Pamplemousse at 1:42 PM on November 1, 2011
Orange Pamplemousse: "...seems like we'll be talking about Brazil in the same way China is spoken of now..."
The weird thing is that I remember a bunch of '80s SciFi that posited Brazil as the next big world power. Predicting growth is hard.
posted by straw at 2:13 PM on November 1, 2011 [3 favorites]
The weird thing is that I remember a bunch of '80s SciFi that posited Brazil as the next big world power. Predicting growth is hard.
posted by straw at 2:13 PM on November 1, 2011 [3 favorites]
Brazil is fascinating, and I truly admire Brazilian women, who, while working in their own best interests, are also working in their country's best interest.
When women are educated, everyone's standard of living rises.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:17 PM on November 1, 2011 [6 favorites]
It's an interesting story, but what's with the silly title? "Machismo" comes from "macho", which means male (mostly used as an adjective for animals, but also as a noun, a male, or a manly man). Just changing the -a to -o doesn't really make it feminine, it just makes it... non-existent, and still recognizable as something that comes from "macho".
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 2:31 PM on November 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 2:31 PM on November 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
I read this when the article came out, and found it fascinating.
But yeah, the title kind of bugged me. In Spanish, "machismo" is usually taken to mean "male chauvinism", and the adjective "machista" means "sexist". I can see, though, how a non-Spanish speaker would mean it as a complimentary play on words.
posted by Specklet at 2:41 PM on November 1, 2011
But yeah, the title kind of bugged me. In Spanish, "machismo" is usually taken to mean "male chauvinism", and the adjective "machista" means "sexist". I can see, though, how a non-Spanish speaker would mean it as a complimentary play on words.
posted by Specklet at 2:41 PM on November 1, 2011
It's not a new term. I've seen macha more, which has more specifically queer overtones, but I've heard it in the more general sense too.
posted by restless_nomad at 2:44 PM on November 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by restless_nomad at 2:44 PM on November 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Boy, did this article remind me of Malcolm Gladwell's writing, and I don't mean that as a compliment.
posted by thewumpusisdead at 2:55 PM on November 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by thewumpusisdead at 2:55 PM on November 1, 2011 [2 favorites]
mmm, I think Brazil is far ahead of China and India. And this is a good thing. Go visit. It's a nice place
posted by mumimor at 3:03 PM on November 1, 2011
posted by mumimor at 3:03 PM on November 1, 2011
Btw, Michael Pettis discussed Brazil while discussing China.
posted by jeffburdges at 3:13 PM on November 1, 2011
posted by jeffburdges at 3:13 PM on November 1, 2011
Machisma?
I thought this was about the Red vs. Blue guys.
And, finally, number 6: Make all your women Brazilians.
Aww, yeah. Number 6.
Double entendre fail... no wait...
The entendre is mighty thick beyond "stroke". Globo network? Really? Can't swing a dead cat in the piece without ... uh... I'll just completely stop.
Introduce electricity and television at the same time in much of the nation's interior, a double disruption of traditional family living patterns
You'd think Xuxa alone would have skewed the curve, but apparently television leads to less sex no matter what's on.
posted by Smedleyman at 3:41 PM on November 1, 2011
I thought this was about the Red vs. Blue guys.
And, finally, number 6: Make all your women Brazilians.
Aww, yeah. Number 6.
Double entendre fail... no wait...
The entendre is mighty thick beyond "stroke". Globo network? Really? Can't swing a dead cat in the piece without ... uh... I'll just completely stop.
Introduce electricity and television at the same time in much of the nation's interior, a double disruption of traditional family living patterns
You'd think Xuxa alone would have skewed the curve, but apparently television leads to less sex no matter what's on.
posted by Smedleyman at 3:41 PM on November 1, 2011
I remember a bunch of '80s SciFi that posited Brazil as the next big world power. ]
"Brazil is the country of the future, and always will be." (A play on a motto of the military junta.)
Ten, twenty years from now it really seems like we'll be talking about Brazil in the same way China is spoken of now
The thing is, based on population and GDP, we really should be talking about it like that already.
posted by dhartung at 4:06 PM on November 1, 2011 [3 favorites]
"Brazil is the country of the future, and always will be." (A play on a motto of the military junta.)
Ten, twenty years from now it really seems like we'll be talking about Brazil in the same way China is spoken of now
The thing is, based on population and GDP, we really should be talking about it like that already.
posted by dhartung at 4:06 PM on November 1, 2011 [3 favorites]
I have the same problem with the title. The word "Hembrismo" exists, at least in Spanish. However, just like "Machismo", it refers to sexist beliefs and practices.
posted by clearlydemon at 5:52 PM on November 1, 2011
posted by clearlydemon at 5:52 PM on November 1, 2011
hal_c_on --
Lowering infant mortality and providing women with birth control won't lower the fertility rate? Seems like causation to me...
posted by jrochest at 6:22 PM on November 1, 2011
Lowering infant mortality and providing women with birth control won't lower the fertility rate? Seems like causation to me...
posted by jrochest at 6:22 PM on November 1, 2011
Didn't you know? Every time we start talking about demographics, somebody has to say "correlation doesn't equal causation."
It's like "gesundheit" after a sneeze, or "that's what she said" after someone says "it's so big." This is just basic etiquette.
posted by nebulawindphone at 6:54 PM on November 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's like "gesundheit" after a sneeze, or "that's what she said" after someone says "it's so big." This is just basic etiquette.
posted by nebulawindphone at 6:54 PM on November 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
They don't have to, it just happens a lot.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:20 PM on November 1, 2011
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:20 PM on November 1, 2011
That was a fascinating article...a Catholic country, no governmental strategy or policy, just women figuring it out...raising fewer children is less work and less expensive...that and too many children makes you poor.
posted by shoesietart at 8:12 PM on November 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by shoesietart at 8:12 PM on November 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
So machisma doesn't work in Spanish. How about in Brazilian Portuguese?
posted by Sys Rq at 9:23 PM on November 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Sys Rq at 9:23 PM on November 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
And, finally, number 6: Make all your women Brazilians.
"Your women"? Whose women?
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 10:25 PM on November 1, 2011
"Your women"? Whose women?
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 10:25 PM on November 1, 2011
>So machisma doesn't work in Spanish. How about in Brazilian Portuguese?
Nope, doesn't work either, sorry.
Great article though, feels good to read something nice about your own country, thanks!
posted by Tom-B at 7:36 AM on November 2, 2011
Nope, doesn't work either, sorry.
Great article though, feels good to read something nice about your own country, thanks!
posted by Tom-B at 7:36 AM on November 2, 2011
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