The aim of this study was to understand, face to the Gulliver Complex approach, how self-initiated expatriates from different backgrounds perceive the relationship between Brazilian people and foreigners. The study, that is exploratory and qualitative, was carried out through semi-structured interviews with 33 self-initiated expatriates, 17 from developed countries and 16 from developing countries. The results suggest that the foreignism can be understood as an aspect of Brazilian culture, bipolar, where one pole is related to the care of the Brazilian with the foreigner, and the other represents the arrogant behavior torward the foreigner, showing a relationship of compensation, as represented in the Gulliver Complex. The results suggest that behaviors of superiority or inferioriry cannot be explained only by the foreigner nationality, but by the origin suggested by the physical appearance of the foreigner.
Foreignism; Gulliver Complex; Self-initiated Expatriates; Brazilian Culture; Qualitative Research
