Machismo

Machismo is a term in Spanish composed of the word macho (“male”) and the suffix ismo (“ism”), which denotes, in this case, a reductionism or stereotype of the male gender role. Although typically, yet inappropriately, associated exclusively with Latinos, the stereotyped characteristics implied in the term can be found in other males and in most cultures. These characteristics are associated with a traditional, sexist, patriarchal ideology expressed through gender roles that exist for the purpose of perpetuating the privileges held by one group (males) and the subjugation, oppression, and marginalization of another group (females). Therefore, “machismo” must be understood in the context of the social interplay of gendered societies, where the advantages of one dialectically involve the disadvantages of the other. These advantages are expressed ...