Group items tagged

Continuing our discussion of sexual education in the US and Latin America, this research study is the start to continued knowledge and use of contraception methods and the role of HIV AIDS in Latin America. With this knowledge integrated into the school curriculum, there is greater awareness of AIDS and prevention methods will increase. If more schools were to create a dialogue with students about sexual awareness and AIDS in particular since it is affecting so much of the young population, than attitudes and efforts to prevent the disease would certainly change and increase. Catholic schools refused to partake in the study. Similar to our discussion in which Catholic schools only preached abstinence while others focused on being safe, the Catholic schools continued to disregard preventative measures in order to follow their beliefs. They also mention that gender roles and machismo may also be precursors to risky sexual behavior because of hierarchies that are established in Belize.

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.

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.

The election of Argentina's president sparked discussion on gender roles in Latin America. Gender issues and constraints have hurt Latin America economically. Although there has been an increase in women leaders, domestic violence and strict gender roles still exist.

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.

This article explores the roles of women in Latin America and the Caribbean. The article begins with the traditional view of women and their stereotypes. Then it moves into the feminist movements and how women are trying to recreate their identities. It discusses the conflict of feminism in a patriarchal society and the women of Latin America and the Caribbean can rise above the traditions and have equal rights. Women are trying to transform this exclusive society in to an inclusive one.

This article discusses the use of birth control in Mexico and how it plays a role in the population. Different programs, such as on for family planning, are trying to help in controlling population by encouraging different forms of contraceptives.

Many countries-Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, and Cuba-are considering it mandatory to teach sexual education in primary schools. Many believe that the exclusion of sexual education has impacted the number of cases of sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and teenage pregnancies. The goal is to bring awareness to these issues in hopes of decreasing the rates and to teach children how to make choices responsibly.

Almost all of Latin America is required to provide sexual education classes for their students, however, these laws are widely ignored. Many children do not receive the proper knowledge about sex until the age of 12 or 13, even though a study conducted in Cuba shows that this is the age children are becoming sexual active. Without the knowledge of the issues of sex it leads to an increase in sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and many abandoned babies. The article also states that children in Argentina do not receive sexual education at all because of the conservative sectors in the area. Many committees and groups are lobbying to help make sexual education more prevalent in students education.

This article discusses the role of sexual education and how it affects the prevention of STDs, unplanned pregnancies, sexual abuse, and HIV/AIDS. Many countries in Latin America have laws stating that sexual education must be taught at schools, however in many of these countries this is not happening. Studies have shown that because these children are not receiving sexual education there are higher rates of unplanned pregnancy, STDs, sexual assault, and earlier ages of engaging in dangerous sexual activities.

This is the website of a human rights group that, while specific to Argentina, reflects the nature of the political turbulence which many Latin American countries have endured, contextualizing the contemporary political situations. Their continued work provides insight into the role that women play in Latin American society and activism.

In this article from The New York Times in January 1993, the rise of AIDS in women in Latin America is discussed. Similarly to in Gutmann's findings, the fidelity of husbands is questioned as the reason for the rise in women's infections. With men having sexual affairs, they are contributing to the rise of AIDS in females.

This article states how the costs of migration in Latin America outweigh the rewards concerning the lives of children. Many children in the region endure negative impacts from their parents' migration to generate remittances. UNICEF claims that migration laves children with feelings of abandonment and vulnerability; the children's role models (their parents) are absent from their lives.

This article discusses the struggle to change women's roles in Latin American countries. The main portion of discussion addressing equality for women exist in a mainly academic atmosphere and there is a need to spread to a media more targeted in toward the general population. As long as the stereotypes of men and women remained unaddressed violence toward women and their expectations as only domestic beings will endure.

This article discusses how many indigenous peoples throughout Latin America are experiencing a loss of cultural tradition, along with conflict and violence because of religion. Of the 40 million indigenous people who live in Latin America today, the most prevalent religion is still Roman Catholicism; however, over the years, other religions have surfaced such as Protestantism and Evangelicalism. The emergence of different religions have changed the collective behavior of indigenous people, along with breaking away their traditional nature.

Throughout Latin America, indigenous communities are losing their sense of tradition, stemmed from large established religious denominations and lesser known groups. While some churches focus on social concerns, others focus on spiritual concerns, creating a division between communities and families. The "sects" have taken on the role of dividing the people and lowering them to interests of the dominant powers. Anthropologists and religious leaders blame the sects for employing indigenous peoples with money and advertising beliefs that go against their way of life.

This article talks about the role of alcohol and substance abuse and its affects on Latin America and the Caribbean. Social, political, religious beliefs are all topics of this article as it talks about the problems and solutions of this important issue.

I read an article titled, "El milagro está en casa Gender and Private/Public Empowerment in a Migrant Pentecostal Church," by Lois Ann Lorentzen with Rosalina Mira through this website and thought it would be incredibly helpful in understanding gender roles within a Pentecostal, Latin American society. This article looks at a community of migrants in the San Francisco/Bay Area in a specific church. I thought this would be interesting to see how their perspectives may change after moving to the United States.

This article was written by a man who was actually stationed in Guatemala when the violence was occurring. The author focuses a lot on the guerrilla movements in the country during this time and their role in the war. Taking you through time, the article continues on with a history of the various stages through the war and his beliefs on the country's current post-war state.

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 is a music video from Shakira that demonstrates the sexualized status of women. In the video, Shakira, who is from Colombia, belly dances in a very sexual style. She also, at one point, is crawling in the mud. Finally, the lyrics are about how she will always be there for the presumed man. In the chorus, the line "estoy a tus pies" is repeated, which means "I am at your feet".

This actually takes a different perspective of the meaning and purpose of "machismo". Here, it is described as being knowingly accepted by both Latino men and Latina women. It describes the exaggerated manliness that we often think of as "machismo" instead as male chauvinism. Here, the word "machismo" is described to be a counter action towards unmanly or "sissy" acts, (such as crying).