CULTURE IN ARGENTINA

By Satyaraj Mohanty Roll No 43 2009-12 MBA (PT) IIFT

Contents

1. Introduction .... 2. Appearance . 3. Behavior ... 4. Communication In Argentina .. 5. Doing Business in Argentina .. 6. Religion in Argentina . 7. Art In Argentina 8. Argentina Sports .. 9. Argentina Food Habits 10. Argentina Music 11. Argentina Architecture .. 12. Argentina Literature

1. Introduction
Argentina has a population of 33 Million with an ethnic composition of 85 percent European descent, primarily Spanish and some speak Italian. Indians, mestizos (people of mixed Indian and Spanish ancestry) and blacks together make up the remaining 15 percent. The Republic of Argentina is a democracy for now, but has had a long history of military power. Spanish is the official language, although many people speak English, Italian, or other languages. Argentine Spanish is heavily influenced by Italian and is unlike Spanish spoken anywhere in Latin America. Church and state are officially separate, but about 90 percent of the population considers itself Roman Catholic. Jews and Protestants account for 2 percent each. Argentina is a country of wide-open pampas and ancient forests, in addition to very sophisticated cities, such as its capital, Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires, has the largest number of Jews in Latin America; they are commonly referred to as los rusos (the Russians) because most of the early Jewish settlers emigrated from Czarist Russia. Argentina was the first Latin American country to send a contingent to the Middle East during the Persian Gulf War. Listed below are some of the traits of the Argentine Culture:

2. Appearance In Argentina
Dress is very important for making a good impression in Argentina; your entire wardrobe will be scrutinized. Business dress is conservative: dark suits and ties for men; white blouses and dark suits or skirts for women. Indian clothing is for Indians -- dont adopt any native costumes! Maintaining eye contact is very important A pat on the shoulder is a sign of friendship A sweeping gesture beginning under the chin and continuing up over the top of the head is used to mean "I dont know" or "I dont care" With thumb and finger touching (as if holding a pinch of salt), one taps them with the index finger to indicate "hurry up" or "a lot" Make sure to cover your mouth when yawning or coughing Dont put your feet up on any furniture Eating in the street or on public transportation is considered rude

3. Behavior In Argentina
Prior appointments are necessary Argentine executives may put in a very long day, often lasting until 10:00 p.m.. An 8:00 p.m. business meeting is not unusual Business dinners are popular and are usually held in restaurants; business lunches are uncommon outside of Buenos Aires, since most people go home to eat lunch Tender beef and red wine virtual national symbols. American beef and red wine compare poorly to theirs Long meals and conversation is the norm. Crossing the knife and fork signal "I am finished". Never pour wine back-handed; its considered impolite. When dining, keep your hands on the table, not in your lap Gifts to be avoided include personal items such as ties and shirts, leather, and knives. High taxes on imported liquor make this a highly appreciated gift; the most popular are scotch and French champagne If the visitor is entertained in the Argentine home, he/she should arrange to send flowers or candy to his hostess. Bird-of-paradise flowers are highly prized A guest should always wait for the host to sit down before sitting, and to open the door for him before leaving

4. Communication In Argentina
Handshaking is common when meeting for the first time Titles, especially among the elderly, are very important. Address a person directly by using his or her title only. A Ph.D or a physician is called Doctor. Teachers prefer the title Profesor, engineers go by Ingeniero, architects are Arquitecto, and lawyers are Abogado. Persons who do not have professional titles should be addressed as Mr., Mrs., or Miss, plus their surnames. In Spanish these are: Mr. = Senor Mrs. = Senora Miss = Senorita Most Hispanics have two surnames: one from their father, which is listed first, followed by one from their mother. Only the fathers surname is used when addressing someone Italian and German second and third languages Good conversation topics: soccer, history, culture, home and children, opera Bad conversation topics: the Peron years, religion, Falkland Islands conflict

5. Doing Business in Argentina

Argentines are tough negotiators. Concessions will not come quickly or easily. Good relationships with counterparts will shorten negotiations. Contracts are lengthy and detailed. A contract is not final until all of its elements are signed. Any portion can be re-negotiated. Get everything in writing. An Argentine contact is essential to wading through government bureaucracy. Be punctual for business appointments, but prepare to wait thirty minutes for your counterpart, especially if you are meeting an important person. The pace of business in Argentina is slower than in the United States. A meeting that is going well could last much longer than intended, even if it means postponing the next engagement. Personal relationships are important and must be developed before business is done. Argentines often need several meetings and extensive discussion to make deals. Decisions are made at the top. Try to arrange meeting with high-level personnel. Guests at a meeting are greeted and escorted to their chairs. The visiting senior executive is seated opposite the Argentine senior executive. During business meetings, sustain a relaxed manner, maintain eye contact and restrict the use of gestures. Dont take a hard sell approach. Be prepared for a certain amount of small talk before getting down to business. Make appointments through a high-level person. Your Argentine contact can help with this. Confirm meetings one week in advance.

6. Religion in Argentina
In a country that has over 50% of its population practicing the Catholic religion, it was found that the primary correlating Hofstede Dimension to be Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI). There were only 2 countries out of 23 that did not follow this correlation, they were Ireland and the Philippines.

7. Art In Argentina
European influences can be found everywhere in the Argentine art, architecture and lifestyle. When it comes to literature, though, a broader cultural mix prevails, which gave birth to internationally known authors such as Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortzar, Ernesto Sbato, Manuel Puig and Osvaldo Soriano. Argentina is an important cultural pole, with countless museums and art galleries, besides its vigorous theater community. Their cinema has also been internationally praised and commonly used as a vehicle to disclose the horribleness of the last military dictatorship.

There are two typical music styles in the country, representing two different regions. The tango, at one hand, is more representative of Buenos Aires and became the country's music symbol abroad. Nowadays, it's somehow regarded as cult music and has its loyal followers, not being a largely popular style though. And at the other hand, the so-called folklore, which better represents the rest of the country and whose main artists are Mercedes Sosa, Horacio Guarany, Los Nocheros, Soledad, among others. Cuarteto and cumbia are other music styles that were originated in the inner country and are now widely accepted. Regarding non-traditional styles, there is the good Buenos Aires rock and pop, represented by music icons such as Charly Garca, Luis Alberto Spinetta, Fito Pez, Gustavo Ceratti (ex Soda Stereo), Diego Torres, among others.

8. Argentina Sports
The soccer is the most popular sport in Argentina without any doubt, and inspires such intense passions. The two main teams are the arch-enemies Boca Juniors and River Plate. Argentines do well in several other sports, ie. polo (world champions), rugby (world top 5), feminine hockey (recent world champions), car racing, boxing, skiing, hunting and fishing. Lately, the demand on extreme sports has started to grow. Basketball is also attracting greater interest thanks to the brilliant performance shown by Manuel Ginobili (or simply Manu), now a NBA champion.

9. Argentina Food Habits

The beef is the primary Argentine dish. Their version of the barbecue is called asado (beef grilled on an open fire pit) and it's a must when you gather with family and friends on weekends. Besides the meat itself it's also very common to eat spicy sausages (chorizo), kidneys (riones), sweetbreads (molleja) and small intestines (chinchulines): the famous parillada mixta. Bread and salad are the perfect side dishes. During the week days, they prefer to eat milanesas (breaded meat filets). Being as appreciated as meat, the Italian food and its traditional pasta are also quite common. Though the variety is big, the top dishes are spaghettis (fideos), gnochis and delicious filled pasta such as sorrentinos, canelones and lasagnas. Last but not least, the pizza is always welcome and in Argentina they taste really superb and there are lots of toppings. The traditional cuisine is called criolla and is represented by the empanadas salty pastries which can be filled with meat, chicken, ham and cheese, etc. The regional cuisine offers dishes such as matambre (rolled stuffed steak cut in slices and served cold), locro and carbonada (meat and vegetable stews). When it comes to drinks, one can perfectly claim that wines (vinos) in Argentina are really popular. You will find budget versions that come in tetrabrick packaging as well as the top quality selections that have made the country a renowned wine producer.

However, mate is the most traditional drink and is also very popular. It's similar to tea but it's more of a way of socializing than a plain beverage. The most common way to prepare it is to fill 2/3 of a gourd (also called mate) with the leaves of the yerba plant (available in every market), put a silver straw on it (bombilla) and then pour hot water. When the gourd is filled with water, the leaves expand and fill the mate. Some people also prefer to add some sugar. One typical drink is the cleric, a kind of fruit salad in a jar, immersed in plenty of wine and soda. It's ideal to share with friends. Argentina is also home to some excellent desserts. Ice cream or helado is particularly good, especially from shops that make their own.

10.

Argentina Music

Music is always present in Argentina, in the homes and in the streets. Musical performances are a part of every festivity and celebration. All through Argentina, you will find different types of music. The music of their folklore brings together the Native Argentineans and the Spanish music with the music of another Latin country and Africa. The classic European music and rock are also popular in Argentina. The most popular musical instrument is the bandoneon. A bandoneon is similar to a small accordion. The difference is that instead of large keys it has small buttons on both sides that are touched to create musical notes. The best-known art of Argentina is the Tango. It is not only a dance style, but is also a music style. It was invented at La Boca about 100 years ago.

11.

Argentina Architecture

The Architecture of Argentina can be said to start at the beginning of the Spanish colonisation, though it was in the 18th century that the cities of the country reached their splendour. Cities like Crdoba, Salta, Mendoza, and also Buenos Aires conserved most their historical Spanish colonial architecture in spite of their urban growth. The simplicity of the Rioplatense baroque style can be clearly appreciated in Buenos Aires, in the works of Italian architects such as Andr Blanqui and Antonio Masella, in the churches of San Ignacio, Nuestra Seora del Pilar, the Cathedral and the Cabildo. Italian and French influences increased after the wars for independence at the beginning of the 19th century, though the academic style persisted until the first decades of the 20th century. Attempts at renovation took place during the second half of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th, when the European tendencies penetrated into the country, reflected in numerous important buildings of Buenos Aires, such as the Santa Felicitam Church by Ernesto Bunge; the Central Post Office and Palace of Justice, by Norbert Maillart; and the National Congress and the Coln Opera House, by Vittorio Meano. The architecture of the second half of the 20th century continued adapting French neoclassical architecture, such as the headquarters of the National Bank of Argentina and the NH Gran Hotel

Provincial, built by Alejandro Bustillo, and the Museo de Arte Hispano Fernndez Blanco, by Martn Noel. Numerous Argentine architects have enriched their own country's cityscapes and, in recent decades, those around the world.

12.

Argentina Literature

Argentina has a rich literary history, as well as one of the region's most active publishing industries. Argentine writers have figured prominently in Latin American literature since becoming a fully united entity in the 1850s, with a strong constitution and a defined nationbuilding plan. The struggle between the Federalists (who favored a loose confederation of provinces based on rural conservatism) and the Unitarians (pro-liberalism and advocates of a strong central government that would encourage European immigration), set the tone for Argentine literature of the time.[4] The ideological divide between gaucho epic Martn Fierro by Jos Hernndez, and Facundo[9] by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, is a great example. Hernndez, a federalist, was opposed to the centralizing, modernizing and Europeanizing tendencies. Sarmiento wrote in support of immigration as the only way to save Argentina from becoming subject to the rule of a small number of dictatorial caudillo families, arguing such immigrants would make Argentina more modern and open to Western European influences and therefore a more prosperous society.[10] Argentine literature of that period was fiercely nationalist. It was followed by the modernist movement, which emerged in France in the late 19th century, and this period in turn was followed by vanguardism, with Ricardo Giraldes as an important reference. Jorge Luis Borges, its most acclaimed writer, found new ways of looking at the modern world in metaphor and philosophical debate and his influence has extended to writers all over the globe. Borges is most famous for his works in short stories such as Ficciones and The Aleph. Some of the nation's notable writers, poets and intellectuals include: Juan Bautista Alberdi, Roberto Arlt, Enrique Banchs, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Silvina Bullrich, Eugenio Cambaceres, Julio Cortzar, Esteban Echeverra, Leopoldo Lugones, Eduardo Mallea, Ezequiel Martnez Estrada, Toms Eloy Martnez, Victoria Ocampo, Manuel Puig, Ernesto Sabato, Osvaldo Soriano, Alfonsina Storni and Mara Elena Walsh.

13.

Conclusion

The culture of Argentina is as varied as the country's geography and mix of ethnic groups. Modern Argentine culture has been largely influenced by European immigration although there are lesser elements of Amerindian and African influences, particularly in the fields of music and art. The countrys art, its festivals, the food, language and music are a reflection of the people who have inhabited the country from long ago. They are the native Argentineans who have lived in the country thousands of years, and the immigrants from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and

other parts of South America in the last 500 years. Therefore, the culture of Argentina has diversified stakeholders, which makes it rich and traditional and is hence, appreciated and acclaimed throughout the world.