Uruguay

Exploring Uruguayan Culture

Uruguay, sandwiched between Brazil and Argentina, is South America’s smallest country. In fact, it’s about the same size as the state of Washington. Uruguay’s landscape remains relatively unchanged over time, as it has not been subject to many natural disasters. The gaucho (a cowboy-like figure) is held as a symbol of Uruguay’s resilient independence in Uruguayan culture. Uruguayans often take pride in being one of Latin America’s more culturally advanced and socially progressive nations.

Host a Uruguayan student in the U.S.

Family Dynamic

In Uruguayan culture, families are interwoven tightly together. The average Uruguayan family has one or two children. It’s common for families to have grandparents living with them at their home. Parents and children tend to have an open relationship in which they discuss their opinions and plans, and the parents usually have the final say. Uruguayan parents seem to always emphasize what their children don’t do, or what they do poorly. It’s somewhat normal for Uruguayan children to be lectured. This attitude doesn’t represent a lack of trust or respect. On the contrary, in Uruguayan culture, it is a sign of attention, and above all, affection and care. Parental decisions are respected and followed, and parents have the last word in family matters.

Teenage Life in Uruguay

Uruguayan teens have very active social lives, meeting with friends after school and going out to eat, the cinema and dancing on weekends. Friends are around so often in fact, that teens seem to lack much privacy and may consider their friend’s property theirs as well. Most teenagers are a part of sports teams. In Argentinian culture, teenagers are expected to help their parents with chores around the house.

Official Language

The official language of Uruguay is Spanish.

Uruguayan Communication Style

Uruguayan people tend to be politically aware and socially conscious with progressive attitudes. Uruguayans can be opinionated and place a large value on individualism and education. They typically favor an indirect communication style where people are expected to implicitly gather meaning.

In Uruguayan culture, personal space tends to be limited during conservation, and individuals might touch or stand closely while conversing. Direct eye contact may be interpreted as confrontational unless greetings have already been exchanged.

Uruguayans are emotive communicators. They tend to ask many personal questions and it can be considered impolite if one does not ask questions. It is also common for Uruguayans to show their passion or enthusiasm for a topic by interrupting others mid-conversation. Interruptions are viewed as a demonstration of one’s interest, similar to asking many personal questions.

In Uruguay ñoquis is similar to the Italian dish, gnocchi

The Uruguayan Diet

In Uruguayan culture, beef, which was once consumed in some form almost daily, is now eaten a few times a week, with chicken replacing it at some meals. Pasta usually is served with the main meal: tallarines, which is like spaghetti, and ñoquis is similar to the Italian dish, gnocchi. People often eat roasts and stews, served with potatoes and carrots. Meat pies are also popular menu items. Traditional dishes include asado (grilled beef), chivito (steak and egg with cheese and mayonnaise), milanesa (fried, breaded steak), and guiso (ground beef with rice, onion, and egg). Dulce de leche (a confection made from milk and sugar) is a common dessert.

Tranquil beauty and rugged gauchos