Analysis of a Scholarly Source: Understanding Latino Families, Implications for Family Education
By: Linda Skogrand (Extension Family Life Specialist) & Daniel Hatch and Archana Singh (Graduate Students)
This extension focuses on the whole Latino Families specifically the “cultural themes that are evident within many Latino families”. I specifically focused on what the extension had to say about Latino men particularly the section labeled, ‘Gender Roles’. In this section they talk about the traditional roles within the Latino families specifically the idea of “machismo”. The man has to be strong, brave and is the head of the household. The women is expected to be giving and willing to cooperate with her husband to make important decisions. They explain how the men are expected to make the income while the women is expected to be the person taking care of the family.
I agree with the majority of this, in terms of what is stereotypically believed of the Latino community and what is unfortunately the reality of the power structure of their homes. The thing that I don’t agree with is the lack of interest in the people who don’t follow this power structure. Most importantly, the lack of a thorough explanation that this is not how all Latino families are.
A question someone might have is, The effects of Machismo in a home. What are the downfalls of Machismo?
This source is very different from the last two sources. The last two sources talked about noticing that not all of Latin America is stuck in this power structure and this source is focused on the part of Latin America who cant go forward from this power structure.
In GWS 1O1 the Rios Article did a good job in explaining the importance of hypermasculinity to men, which correlates to what machismo is all about. It’s about the focus of the image of the man.
-L.S
source:
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FR_Family_2005-02.pdf