Culture and Gender: A reminder
After learning about gender roles in depth in Language and Literature, my understanding about how they present themselves in advertising was well consolidated. However, when I went back to Mexico this summer for vacation, I was also reminded about how deeply entrenched gender roles can be in everyday society. Perhaps it is the international community I am used to, but it seems that in Mexico the expectation for girls are rigidly always those of decency and submissiveness.
This struck me as specially true when after coming back from the Historic Center of Mexico City– a testimony to the influence of Catholicism in Mexico– we passed by a pro-abortion march in the middle of Reforma street. To me this didn't seem to be out of the ordinary– throughout the world and lately through Latin America, the so called 'green wave' had been spreading, vouching for greater rights for women and the freedom to have a choice. However, it seemed that for the male taxi driver this was outrageous and outlandish. He then proceeded to say all sorts of negative rhetoric against the protesting women.
In addition, this established requirement of female gender roles became very evident to me during a family gathering at my aunt's house. It seemed that all my female adult relatives who had babies were the only ones taking care of the children, despite their husbands being there, unoccupied and perfectly capable of helping out. I understand that family dynamics vary around the world, but it also is to my understanding that parenthood is a shared task for which both the parents should take responsibility. From an outsider's perspective, I also understand that these types of habits are culturally rigid and that in order to change and stop becoming second nature, more awareness is required.
I always find it interesting going back to Mexico because having access to a liberal international education has granted me with that aforementioned awareness– I can only hope that in the future I can help spread that awareness so those rigid gender roles can start being broken down.
This struck me as specially true when after coming back from the Historic Center of Mexico City– a testimony to the influence of Catholicism in Mexico– we passed by a pro-abortion march in the middle of Reforma street. To me this didn't seem to be out of the ordinary– throughout the world and lately through Latin America, the so called 'green wave' had been spreading, vouching for greater rights for women and the freedom to have a choice. However, it seemed that for the male taxi driver this was outrageous and outlandish. He then proceeded to say all sorts of negative rhetoric against the protesting women.
In addition, this established requirement of female gender roles became very evident to me during a family gathering at my aunt's house. It seemed that all my female adult relatives who had babies were the only ones taking care of the children, despite their husbands being there, unoccupied and perfectly capable of helping out. I understand that family dynamics vary around the world, but it also is to my understanding that parenthood is a shared task for which both the parents should take responsibility. From an outsider's perspective, I also understand that these types of habits are culturally rigid and that in order to change and stop becoming second nature, more awareness is required.
I always find it interesting going back to Mexico because having access to a liberal international education has granted me with that aforementioned awareness– I can only hope that in the future I can help spread that awareness so those rigid gender roles can start being broken down.
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