Argentina - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Culture Smart / Cultuur Bewust

by Mary Godward, Robert Hamwee

Don't just see the sights―get to know the people. The second-largest country in South America, Argentina has been through great changes in recent years. Its journey from dictatorship to democracy has left many scars, but these are largely eclipsed by the pride and resilience of the Argentinian people, who have developed a style, a language, and a joie de vivre that are all their own. Embracing much more than gaucho, tango, and soccer, Argentina is very unlike its neighbors. And, due to the unique way in which it evolved, is quite different from the expectations many visitors have of a stereotypical Latin American destination. This new, updated edition of  Culture Smart! Argentina  looks at the attitudes and values of the people and how they’ve adapted to the challenges and events of the last decade. It introduces you to their customs, traditions, fiestas, lifestyle, and cuisine, and provides you with the essential tools to make the most of your time here. Have a more meaningful and successful time abroad through a better understanding of the local culture. Chapters on values, attitudes, customs, and daily life will help you make the most of your visit, while tips on etiquette and communication will help you navigate unfamiliar situations and avoid faux pas.

Genres: Travel

200 pages, Paperback

First published October 30, 2005

Reviews

[Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Use this as a homeschool resource for geography. Was really helpful.

[Nathan H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read, seems a bit out of date and not 100% accurate but still learned some cool new stuff (e.g. Lujan Pilgrimage); a welcome reminder to look beyond what’s on the web to figure out what to see/do here

[Amy Langston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was my first introduction to the culture and people of Argentina. I discovered that Argentina has a fascinating, yet tumultuous history, and has made important contributions to folk music, art, literature, and fashion. While most people's ancestry is from Italy and Spain, they represent a mix of cultures and ethnicities. They also have a varied and stunning geography.

The author Robert Hamwee grew up in Argentina. He is clearly excited about sharing his homeland's culture with the reader. The book is generally well-written, but at times I felt he was going for more complicated wording than was necessary. He also doesn't use the second-person "you" to speak to the reader directly, opting for "one should rather..." This might be a normal format in UK English, but it struck me as an unnatural way to read an informal travel guide.

The best section of the book is on business interactions. Hamwee has worked in cross-cultural business consulting and it shows. I don't have much business experience, so some of the vocabulary there was lost on me. But if you are planning to do business with Argentinians, this book will be very helpful for you.

If you're planning to travel to Argentina for leisure, this book will be a good starting point for the historical and cultural factors that have shaped their society. But Argentina is a large country, so do extra research on the specific places you go. This book, in particular, tends to be centered more around life in the cities like Buenos Aires, and how to prepare people to travel or move there. It touches a little on rural or regionally different places, but if this is where you plan to spend most of your time, this book might be less helpful for you.

[Joshua Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very interesting and informal book of the Argentinean culture, society, and its people. It gives you information on their communication with others, their values, customs, traditions, and also some helpful do’s and `don’ts. You name it and this book probably has the information you need.

This book tells you all you need to know about Argentina and its people. For example if you arrive in Argentina, don’t be surprised if you are greeted with a hug and kiss from someone of the opposite gender. A hug and a kiss on the cheek are considered formal greetings in the Argentinean culture. Also did you know that they pay close attention to body language? When you meet someone or are in a meeting or some other formal event you should avoid stiff gestures and relax and keep eye contact to appear respectful.

There are also many other more interesting and informal facts about Argentina and its culture, the way they live, and many other cool and unique facts about the history and also some of their social life.

The primary language in Argentina is Spanish. Also the capital is Buenos Aires which is the largest city in Argentina, and just the city itself holds over 2.7 million people.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though necessarily a little stereotyped, this is really a great little book for things the guidebooks don't think go tell you about. I'm pretty curious to see what the one for the US says...