Machismo

Machismo (/məˈzm, mɑː-, -ˈɪz-/; Spanish: [maˈtʃismo]; Portuguese: [maˈʃiʒmu]; from Spanish macho 'male' and -ismo)[1] is the sense of being "manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity".[2] Machismo is a term originating in the early 1940s and 1950s and its use more wide spread in popular culture in the 60s.[3] While the term is associated with "a man's responsibility to provide for, protect, and defend his family",[4] machismo is strongly and consistently associated with dominance, aggression, grandstanding, and an inability to nurture. Machismo is found to be deeply rooted in family dynamics and culture in Latin America and is exclusive to the region.[5]

The word macho has a long history both in Spain and Portugal, including the Spanish and Portuguese languages. Macho in Portuguese and Spanish is a strictly masculine term, derived from the Latin mascŭlus, which means "male". It was originally associated with the ideal societal role men were expected to play in their communities, most particularly Iberian language-speaking societies and countries.[6] Ser macho (literally, "to be a macho") was an aspiration for all boys. As history shows, men were often in powerful and dominating roles thus portrayed the stereotype of the macho man.[3] Thus the origin of machismo serves as an illustration of past history, the struggles that colonial Latin America faced and the evolution of gender stereotypes with time.

  1. ^ "machismo". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 1 February 2017. "Machismo - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary". Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  2. ^ "Un Modelo de Vida (A role model in his lifetime)". Archived from the original on 12 May 2008.
  3. ^ a b Cowan, Benjamin Arthur (October 2017). "How Machismo Got Its Spurs—in English: Social Science, Cold War Imperialism, and the Ethnicization of Hypermasculinity". Latin American Research Review. 52 (4): 606–622. doi:10.25222/larr.100. ISSN 0023-8791.
  4. ^ Morales, Edward. S. (1996). "Gender roles among Latino gay and bisexual men: Implications for family and couple relationships". In Laird, Joan; Green, Robert-Jay (eds.). Lesbians and Gays in Couples and Families: A Handbook for Therapists. Wiley. pp. 272–297. ISBN 978-0-7879-0222-3.
  5. ^ Zinn, Maxine Baca (Summer 1982). "Chicano Men and Masculinity". Journal of Ethnic Studies. 10 (2): 29–44. ProQuest 1300556081.
  6. ^ Pescatello, Ann (23 November 2010). Female and Male in Latin America. University of Pittsburgh Pre. ISBN 978-0-8229-7421-5.

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