At the mention of “mens underwear” most people picture white briefs, old-fashioned long-johns, or perhaps some boxers with a fun pattern on them. Kin Groups. When Brazilians speak of “family” they usually mean a large extended kin group rather than the immediate family of spouse and children. This large kin group, the parentela , consists of all maternal and paternal relatives, along with in-laws. The parentela is at the core of social life and in time of need ideally provides assistance to its members. Such support can also be obtained through ritual kinship ( compadrio ) in which parents select additional allies and protectors as godparents for their children. Some claim that the multiple functions of these extended kinship networks has inhibited the development of extrafamilial organizations in Brazil, such as parent-teacher associations and garden and civic clubs. To Marxists, power implies oppression and therefore, should be overthrown in the … Read the rest