Are Central Americans (inc. Mexicans) more prudish than South Americans? (train, people)

[Trimac20]

I read that most Mexican women don't wear bikinis, or even swimsuits, to the beach, and most of the people you see wearing them in the beach are tourists. Is that true? Or is my source outdated? Many will wear T-shirts and shorts in the water.

On the other hand, Brazil is famous for it's beach babes in thongs...what about other countries in both Central and South America? How do they fit in between those two extremes? Is Brazil.etc less prudish/conservative than Mexico.etc? If so what could be the reason?

[theunbrainwashed]

I don't know. You should go on a fact finding trip to Mexico to find out for us

[Supine]

Mexico is listed by many people as part of North America.*

And by Brazilians you might mean Cariocas? The citizens and cultural people of the City of Rio de Janeiro.

Most of Mexico is probably more modestly dressed--maybe--when compared to the Cariocas. Mexico in general is one of the most conservative Catholic nations in the world at this time. By "Catholic nation" I mean in terms of the populations religious affiliation being predominately Catholic. I realize Mexico, like the United States, is officially a secular nation with no official state religion. Perhaps the most conservative Catholic nation at this time is Chile in South America. Chile has a small but excellently trained military, it's major city located at a higher altitude is a colder climate city and not a beach city, it also often boasts a smaller homicide rate (it's major city) than Western European nations. Chileans have a reputation of being more ethical businessmen than U.S. businessmen too.

Brazil would be more akin to Italy during the 1600s and Mexico and Chile more akin to Spain during the 1600s. The latter two countries are an imperfect comparison to 1600s Spain, if for no other reason they lack international power of scale. But also... even as war hawk as Chile's military officer corps reportedly is, neither Chile or Mexico have a culture bent of religious or ideological jihad and "destiny" as Spain once did. The closet to that that today is the United States of America with its military led jihad to spread democracy (and when not democracy then capitalism) across the world.

The Mexicans may be less prudish or modest than the Americans in some ways. But then again the beach cultures of Florida and California are not reflective of Middle America or the more conservative Northern East Coast states (in terms of catholicity, the East Coast traditionally has been more conservative than the Midwest, but I'm not sure about Protestantism--secular East Coast is not conservative though).

Consider that Mexican TV will show topless women. This is enough to even give some secular, atheist Americans a heart attack, as many of them tend to be more puritanical than a lot of Catholic Mexicans.

Mexican TV also does not seem to mind having beautiful, professional women show cleavage. This would be regarded as sexist in the United States and in part do to some of its puritan sympathies when it comes to sex.

Brazil on the other hand carries an international reputation for sexual promiscuity and sodomy probably comparable to Italy of the 1600s that was to most of Europe a city of Sodom. With some reason. Prostitution in the Papal States then and in Brazil today was for all intent and purposes legal. Restricted to certain quarters in the Papal States its restrictions in Brazil are to no solicitation. And in both nations of the two different centuries, male homosexuality was construed differently than it is in the United States and the Anglo world. Both adopted the ancient pagan Roman concept of a gay man only being the receiver not the "pitcher."







*There are those that note that are directions of North and South on map or model of the globe is arbitrary and culturally influenced. Therefore, they point out, Canada and the United States could be South America. Some, also subscribe to the view there is only one American continent and not two.