Could culture be an obstacle the development?

Abstract

Culture has great importance as a factor of development but can also be a hindrance to it. This theme can be found in writings from the seventeenth century but the most fruitful studies on it were carried out by Max Weber in the beginning of the twentieth century. Recently, in view of the failure of many economicist models, many authors have been reexamining this issue to specifically explain the backwardness of Latin America. In Brasil, the attempts at defining a national character made in the nineteenth and twentieth century, although lull of prejudices, help us to reflect on the compatibility between our culture and the demands of economic development. It remains to know how we could advance changes in our culture, removing the obstacles and fostering values, beliefs and attitudes favorable to prosperity.