MARIANISMO:CHALLENGING TRADITIONAL MEXICAN-AMERICAN ROLES FOR WOMEN

While plentiful research has examined Machismo as a gender role norm for Mexican men, little has examined the role of women’s traditional Marianismo roles. Research identifies 5 “pillars” of Marianismo: family, virtuosity, subordination, self-silencing, and spirituality. I was interested in whether adhering to some traditional pillars of Marianismo (e.g., family) allow women to break away from other, more oppressive pillars (e.g., subordination, self-silencing). I tested whether traditional Marianismo beliefs impact women’s general mental health, and whether differences in traditional beliefs influence the degree to which women can be challenged to push back against more negative pillars by focusing on the more positive through a reading exercise. I experimentally compared the effects of traditional Marianismo beliefs on intentions to engage in subordination and self-silencing in the future. The hope is that this research can help continue the conversation around, and inform clinicians, about the connection between gender roles and the health of Mexican/Mexican-American women.