Social and Cultural Impact on the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro Essay

Social and Cultural Impact on the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro - Essay Example â€Å"Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil is home to the world's most famous carnival, and what many people consider to be the world's biggest and best party. The basis of Rio’s Carnival is the samba schools, which social clubs are named after the famous Brazilian samba dance† (Richard 2011). Samba schools are found in various places of Rio de Janeiro, and competition between them is fierce. Members work all through the year to make the best floats, themes, costumes, and dance performances. â€Å"Education and rehabilitation are among the primary responsibilities that these samba schools undertake† (About Rio Samba Schools: Understand Overview of Samba Schools 2011). During the four day carnival, schools parade and struggle against each other in the Sambadrome, a building that can hold nearly 60,000 spectators. Millions of people get involved in merry making all through the city, especially on Rio's famous beaches, Copacabana and Ipanema. â€Å"Rio de Janeiro and the carn ival the two attractions are inseparable. Although the carnival in Rio is very commercial nowadays, it still is the carnival in Brazil, even though there are more authentic celebrations held elsewhere. Five days of samba and partying make the event as famous over the world as the World Cup or Olympics. Rio de Janeiro is also an attraction worth of seeing† (Tourism in Brazil Essay 2012). Social Impact on the Carnival of Rio De Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro is remembered for its strange natural beauty and excitement of popular culture. â€Å"Carnival has a different effect on each person, but it was created just with one objective for everyone, and that is to have a lot of fun, to forget our routine life, worries, responsibilities and to adventure at least once in our lives, because this experience no one will ever forget† (Kathyvargas 2004). The city is also marked by tremendous differences, reflecting a high degree of social disparity. The gap between the poor and the rich an d their close geographic nearness, characterized Rio. â€Å"Rio de Janeiro has major social problems, in the same neighborhood, such as Gavea for example, there is a difference that has developed over 60 years. Opposing realities are seen within a few meters of each other. On one side we have the upper class, with its mansions and high levels of education, and on the other side groups who in poor conditions, living in shacks, without even a basic education† (Social Problems in Rio De Janeiro 2012). This chasm of disparity makes many other impacts in the day-to-day city life. Crime, violence, police corruption, drug trafficking, deficiencies in health, inefficient transportation systems defective and education form the crux of Rio’s daily routine. The city has high levels of crime, particularly homicides. â€Å"Between 1978 and 2000, almost 50,000† (The Top 10 Most Dangerous City Breaks 2012) citizens were killed in Rio, the majority of victims being affected by stray bullets, and drug trafficking. There is a huge burden of teenage homicides, the age for the majority at risk in the drug gangs for and those who endure most from police fighting. â€Å"In 2010, Rio received 800.000 visitors during carnival which represents an R$ 950 million industry for the city† (Carnival of Rio De Janeiro 2012). Urban violence is an increasing problem that that has influenced every