Families in Latin America
Intro
- This includes Mexico, Central and South American, and the Carribean.
- 2 main undercurrents--Poverty and Patriarchal norms (Machismo).
- Women believe their purpose in life is to have children so they usually avoid birth control.
Mate Selection
- A study showed that US teens looked for independent factors like being sexy and having money as more important than liking children and such, whereas Guatemalans ranked more "collectivist" ideals as higher than the independent traits.
- In Mexico they were mixed, and in Venezuelan mate selection characteristics were similar to the US.
- All throughout latin american, the higher the education level of the woman, the later her age of marriage is.
- There is lots of consensual unions and cohabiting in Latin America.
- Overall, Latin American couples tend to marry earlier and be more endogamous (marrying within the same culture) than US couples.
The Latin American Family
- Argentina
- Women are starting to get more education and going into the workforce, men are getting more independent (moving out of their houses before they get married).
- Overall, they're currently less patriarchal with greater equality for women. But the households are less financially stable.
- Brazil
- Predominant language is Portuguese.
- Nuclear families, relatively small
- Divorce was legalized in 1988.
- Parents discipline their children sometimes with abuse and society doesn't recognize it as such.
- Working towards more individuality in the culture.
- Costa Rica
- Only half the population is a nuclear family with 2 parents.
- Women sometimes go into the workforce
- Patriarchal values are strong
- Women don't know if they can be happily married and enjoy employment.
- Mexico
- FAMILY is important!!!
- 75% are nuclear families, and the rest are extended families.
- Marriage is popular
- Men aren't participating in housework as quickly as women are entering into the workforce.
- Machismo
- Peru
- 50% lives in poverty.
- "Macho" double standard of sex--Men can't control themselves and women should keep themselves chaste.
- Having children is a mark of faithfulness in a wife and a way to keep the husband around. But they used to do 7 children on average in a family--in 2002 it's down to 3 because of decreased fertility in urban women.
- Lots of attempts to migrate to other countries for better opportunities once a man has left a family.
- Venezuela
- Mother is stable decision maker, grandmother is focus of family--not father.
- Husbands and fathers are marginal characters--even when in formalized marriages.
Family Ideals
- Familism
- Places family ahead of individuals' interest and development. It highlights loyalty and cooperation.
- A sense of duty and strong belief in having children.
- Generally, no sex before marriage, have parents' approval on dating partner, and endogamy.
- Machismo
- Aggressive, masculine, strong, powerful physically.
- A true macho shouldn't be afraid of anything.
- Should be able to hold their liquor
- Hypersexual--impotent and homosexuals are scoffed at.
- To take advantage of a young woman is a sense of pride and prestige, not blame.
- A married man should have a mistress and other casual encounters. "The woman loves, but the man conquers"
- Avoid feminine traits.
- Female Support of Machismo
- Marianismo-women are semidivine, spiritually and morally superior to men.
Street Children
Effect of Machismo--Pushing kids to independence so early they live on the street.
- Who They Are
- Ages 8-18
- They form their own community. Don't really want to be back in their families. They beg and sell.
- Why They Leave Home
Family Violence
- Lots of family violence that isn't talked about.
- Latinas are more tolerant of physical and emotional abuse in families.
Conclusion
- Times are changing in Latin America--people are becoming more egalitarian in their views and women are gaining power in relationships and marriage, but the change is slow.
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