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This site contains an article based on the contemporary perspectives of men and masculinity in Latin American Countries. Detailing numerous countries like Brazil and Mexico, you can see the similarities and differences of what masculine identity is to each individual country or culture. "The materials analyzed are organized around the principal themes within which studies of masculinity in Latin America have been framed, namely the construction of masculine identity, fatherhood, practices and representations, homosocial spaces of masculinity, reproductive health, and masculine sexuality."

Dalia Acosta's article addresses the gender equality issues throughout Latin America. Her interview of Julio César Gonzaléz presents an engaging, and possibly controversial, argument that women are not the only victims of Latin America's dominant and rigid patriarchal system and hierarchy: men also face an oppression, although different, due to the socially constructed concept of masculinity.

This article explains the issues of gender roles in Latin America. Julio César González, the Cuban General coordinator of the Ibero-American Masculinity Networkstates, "Until we scrutinise men's social roles and the concept of masculinity, we'll just be drawing circles around the women victims of the system." After completing 20 years of research in gender studies he tried to implement his findings in the real world, but faced resistance from people who only wanted to continue with the traditional stereotypes. Although the Cuban authorities have allowed women to be integrated into once all-male domains, there is still a long way for women to go to reach full equality.

This is an essay written by a Professor of Anthropology about masculinity in Christian Mexican music

In many Latino cultures masculinity is defined by the heroics of sport. Mexico is no exception; their most sacred and national masculine symbol could very well be their national soccer team. I chose this web page for its vivid imagery documenting the "idols of the Tricolor."

This article discusses the "maras" of El Salvador and how they have grown throughout both Latin America and the United States. The "maras" have been responsible for countless murders and are continuing to grow today. The concept and existence of such gangs come into direct conversation with the concepts of both machismo and masculinity in Latin American and American culture.

This article discusses Machismo and the Dominican Republic. The authors explore the cause of such a aggression and the idea that this male role is so deeply rooted in Latin American Society. Also, it questions the roles that women play in relationship to this "manly man" and how the men view the women. This exaggerated masculinity is deeply rooted in the Dominican society along with many other places in Latin America.

The article entitled "Guatemala's 'Femicide' Crisis" seeks to explain the implications of the unnecessary and brutal mass killings occurring amongst women in Guatemala mostly by male gangs. Because the killings have exceeded such an unusual extent, it has been deemed a "Femicide", otherwise known as a "Gendercide" or a genocide directed mainly against females. The ages of girls or women discussed in this article being raped, beaten, and murdered range from three year old toddlers to middle aged women. Not only do gangs of men perform these acts for no reason other to establish masculinity within their affinity groups. Moreover, the law enforcement agencies are so corrupt that it was said, "justice imposed by the state is non-existent" and "only two per cent of crimes against women are solved." This article seeks to establish the problem that is still going on even after the forty-year civil war while other chosen articles are determined to look for solutions.

Homosexuality in Mexico is the main subject of this article. They go on to talk about masculinity and how that relates to being gay and whether it is accepted within society. The article also discusses HIV/AIDS and how it is connected to homosexuality and the various acts of men in Mexico.

This small excerpt describes how masculinity in Latin America is affirmed through the concepts of "machismo". It speaks of the man's dominant role, both inside and outside of the home. It also briefly states the roles of Latin American women. The "machismo" culture does not allow for women to have much of a choice. It sets boundaries for women.

This article focuses on how the idea of masculinity or "machismo" influences domestic violence. If a man does not fight back or show his strength then he is not considered a man in the Dominican Republic culture. This article also explores how difficult it is for women to get recognized in Latino culture due to its patriarchal society. Women have to work twice as hard to succeed than men do.

This discussion talks about the "never say no" attitude of the macho Latin American culture. It also talks about the risks involved in this type of culture. In this article, Gonzales discusses the possibility of men taking on this macho attitude in order to be socially accepted by other men.

Although our current emphasis in class is the study of masculinity, this website details the problems that women and children face in Latin America. This pertains to our class in that it is important to understand why and how men (and other women) hurt women and children perhaps because of the pressure they feel to be "macho."

A radical newsletter in the struggle for peace and justice. Due to religious influences and beliefs, women do not have the rights to their bodies by law, so they seek alternative methods to have abortions, with a large number resulting in death. Similar to our discussion of sexual education in schools, the 'reality' does not match up with what is taught in schools (especially Catholic ones). Instead of being proactive and preventative, abstinence is taught. iolence against women is coming to the forefront as a major concern in Latin America. Termed "femicide," violence against women by men because they are women is a poor result of the hierarchy of the cultural society in Latin America. Machismo and masculinity influence men to feel that they must act this way from a young way in order to exert their power and strength, but it is unacceptable. This article also discusses women's movements and their fight for equal rights as well as rights to maternity leave and other aspects that women who work must take into account.

This article discusses man's desire to be "separated" from traits associated with women in Mexico. Mexican men tend to be stereotyped as "Machismo" and want to be sexually dominant in all that they do.

This source is about the widespread sexual exploitation of underage girls in Paraguay, and the systemic exploitation of women is closely related to how we construct our views of masculinity.

The macho culture of Latin America can be traced back to the time of the Conquistadors. Maria Elena Ramos Tovar addresses that at the time of the conquistadors men dominated women through their masculinity. In today's Mexican culture the movies from Hollywood and those produced in the country portray the image of man, which in turn reinforces the preexisting image of the 'machismo' in Mexican culture. Longevity of the ideals of machismo are being confronted by the women in Mexican society and this can be seen in the levels of divorce rates in the society. Women are becoming less tolerant of men who retain the image of macho. This article does a comparative analysis between the male dominance in the Mexican culture versus the culture in the Nigerian village of Lagos.

Although the previously bookmarked article seeks to establish an outline of the human or women rights violations that occur within Guatemala, here, author Karim Velasco, sheds light upon newly distinguished laws and explains despite their hopeful goals, why they have ceased to work effectively. She argues that because of the "lack of effective investigation and prevention strategies of the Guatemalan authorities", women continue to be raped, tortured, and murdered at an increasing rate. Because of pressures from the European Parliament to abide by human rights laws, "on April 9, 2008, Guatemalan Congressed passed the 'Law Against Femicide and other Forms of Violence against Women Act' to severely punish any kind of gender-based violence..." However, because the violence stems from the power inequality between men and women in the first place, there is little belief or evidence that this Act will be implemented or strongly enforced by the men in power who seek to represent masculinity or display a constant idea of machismo.

This article is especially interesting because it discuses the notion of 'machismo' but it does so in a different way than 'machismo' is normally discussed. This article is an example of the initial steps towards a reform in the Latin American society because it describes the ways in which churches are beginning to educate about the dangers and threats of the machismo culture. Many people do not truly know who the 'machismo' are, what it means to be involved in their lifestyle, and the dangers that arise as a result.

This is a radio show discussing the violence against women as a result of the machismo culture. It also discusses a group of men from Nicaragua that are participating in a program to "unlearn" the aspects of being macho.