Religious/Spiritual Beliefs: Marianismo

Marianismo refers to the traditional idealized gender role and values associated in Latino cultures with being a woman. It is heavily influenced by Catholic religious doctrine and rooted in an emulation of the Virgin Mary by honoring and imitating both her virginal and maternal qualities. Within marianimso, qualities such as virginity, chastity, sexual naïveté, modesty, and self-sacrifice for the sake of one's partner's or children's needs are idealized. Furthermore, the belief that suffering is part of being a woman and part of the female identity is a part of marianista values.

Marianismo is significant in that it defines the female gender role within Latino cultures, including behavior that is acceptable and unacceptable for women, as well as shared values related to women. For example, according to ...