Many sociocultural conditions in Central and South America derived from colonial and Catholic traditions have significantly influenced gender relations, love, and marital partnership in many countries in that geographical region. The Latin American cultural ideas of “machismo” and “marianismo” are two traditional stereotypes of manhood and masculinity for men and womanhood and femininity for women.
The Latin American notion of women’s “marianismo” is commonly contrasted with the cultural notion of men’s “machismo.” In the traditional patriarchal societies of Central and South America, these cultural ideas have been around for a long time.
Gender Roles in Latin American Patriarchal Cultures
Gender roles in traditional Latin American cultures are unequal and strictly imposed. In their patriarchal societies, men’s roles include responsibilities for resources, management, and the protection of the family. They often have decisive power in family relationships. These roles presume their higher status, independence, and dominance in family matters.
On the other hand, in the patriarchal societies of Latin America, women’s roles include responsibilities for many household services, such as cleaning the house, doing laundry, and cooking meals. They are supposed to serve food, water, and many other services in the house. Many women consider having sex with their husbands an act of service to them. Women are responsible for childbirth and their upbringing. They are the primary caregivers for their children. These roles presume their lower status, dependence on men, and submissiveness in marital matters.
The “Marianismo” Cult of the Virgin Mary
Spirituality and purity are the key virtues distinguishing marianismo from machismo. It is assumed that macho men are morally flawed. So, in Latin American culture, the ideal woman is set up to balance out the less-than-holy role of men.
The notion of “marianismo” is strongly related to Catholicism, the dominant religion in Latin America. These religious values directly shaped the cultural ideal of feminine “marianismo.” The Virgin Mary is regarded as the quintessential marianista. Latin women are supposed to follow the virtues of the Virgin Mary and acquire the traits she possessed, such as her moral righteousness, her suffering, and her spiritual importance. The Virgin Mary is regarded as the role model that Latina women and girls should follow (Gil & Vazquez, 2014; Morales & Pérez, 2020).
Generally, marianismo is a “cult of feminine spiritual superiority, which teaches that women are semi-divine, morally superior to, and spiritually stronger than men” (Stevens, 1973, p. 91).
What Are the Cultural Ideals of “Marianismo”?
Marianismo is a set of beliefs and psychological feelings that are deeply imbedded in Latinas’ cultural experience. To accept the “marianista role,” women must accept their fate as mothers and wives. They must be willing to tolerate the demands of motherhood. They should live in the shadow of their husbands and children, supporting them in any way necessary. The ultimate self-sacrifice of the woman is at the heart of marianismo. A woman’s self-worth is largely determined by what she can do for others (Gil & Vazquez, 2014).
This Latin American folk cultural idea of “marianismo” praises the feminine virtues of women, such as their faithfulness, modesty, purity, submission, motherhood, and self-giving. Among those “marianismo” traits of women are also female passivity and sexual purity.
According to these cultural values, women are supposed to be nice, kind, docile, and unassertive. They are expected to take care of the house by cleaning, cooking, caring for children, and serving their spouse. The role of being a good mother is valued more than the role of the wife in family relationships. The “familism” value is among the highest in Latin America. Latina women who are strong marianistas are respected for their devotion to the family. In Latin American societies and in the Latin communities of immigrants, women are still socialized in this manner.
In marital relationships, Latina women must be submissive and obey their husbands. It is difficult to develop an intimate partnership and companionate love between husband and wife in such an unequal marital relationship.