| ID | 177613 |
| Title Proper | Uneasy ‘well-placed’ state |
| Other Title Information | Brazil within Latin America and the West |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Guimarães, Feliciano de Sá |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | In this paper, we argue that the Brazilian diplomatic discourse portraits an uneasy sense of ‘well-placement’ within both Latin America and the West. On the one hand, Brazil’s diplomatic narrative indicates an aspiration to belong to the West, yet without denying Brazil’s credentials as a developing or Third World country. On the other hand, Brazilian diplomats perceive Brazil as a Latin American country without denying its unique inheritance of Portuguese colonialism, a notion that somewhat dismisses Brazil’s linkages with Latin America’s main cultural traits. We show that this uneasy sense of ‘well-placement’ can be observed in Brazil’s complex identity-set, which is composed of three overlapping and contradictory layers of identity. The first layer is comprised of profound and firmly embedded identities created by regional and historical references, such as the Portuguese-Brazilian identity and Americanism. A second, less entrenched layer involves identities related to the foreign policy concept of autonomy created in the 1950s and 1960s. The third layer includes contemporary role conceptualizations, such as ‘emerging power’ and ‘regional leader.’ This complex identity-set shows Brazil’s contradictions concerning its place in the world, but arguably not the profound cognitive dissonance within its region and cultural affinities that tends to characterize Misplaced States. |
| `In' analytical Note | Cambridge Review of International Affairs Vol. 33, No.4; Aug 2020: p.603-619 |
| Journal Source | Cambridge Review of International Affairs Vol: 33 No 4 |
| Key Words | Latin America ; Brazil ; West |