Gender Roles In Mexico Family

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Gender roles develop in every culture depending on the nature of that society and the needs of the family. Every culture develops its own idea of what a man and woman should do for and within the family, but not all traditional values are set in stone. Major transitions for a family, such as immigration, can result in a shift of the gender roles previously instilled by previous generations. Within a traditional Hispanic family, spatial distinctions make the most obvious division between the mother and father. The father’s space is symbolically represented by la calle (the street) because for a man, the street leads to his work and pleasures. the man uses the street to provide for the family and therefore does not need permission to leave the house, whether it be for work or immoral behavior. (source) It is common for a man to express and keep his dominance through domestic violence. Although a law was created against domestic violence in Mexico (WP source), it is not as strongly enforced as the domestic violence laws in the United States. …show more content…
These traditional roles were largely based on families marrying families for economic or status reasons, rather than a man and a woman marrying for passionate love (reference?). The woman’s space is symbolized by la casa (the house) which represents her duties as a homemaker. Because of this, her rights to the outside world are limited and a woman must have permission from her father or husband to enter into the outside world. As a result, marriages are often based on the concept of respecto (respect) and have a hierarchal power structure.