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Changing Constructions of Machismo for Latino Men in Therapy: “The Devil Never Sleeps”
Abstract
This paper presents current narratives about masculinity that question simplistic negative stereotypes of machismo for Latino heterosexual men. Various models of masculinity within Latino cultures are described using evidence from ethnographic studies, research data, and clinical observation. Therapeutic advantages of including positive cultural masculine traits such as respect and dignity are illustrated with an extensive case study. The case highlights contradictions in the coexistence of constructions of masculinity and traces progressive stages for transforming these constructions. In this strength-based approach, attention is directed to elements of cultural memory that reclaim a strong relational ethic present in the indigenous cultures. " Within the culture" definitions of masculinity contribute alternative constructions toward a more empowering cultural narrative for Latino men than the usual negative stereotypes. 2010
... While it is essential to understand withingroup differences, there are some commonalities among the Hispanic/Latinx community in the United States, including overarching cultural strengths and challenges, that may impact the parent-worker relationship. Hispanic/Latinx values of respect can potentially improve working relationships and service engagement (Falicov, 2010;Furman et al., 2009). In addition, many Hispanic/Latinx individuals especially value their families and family relationships (Furman et al., 2009). ...
... First, Hispanic/Latinx immigrant fathers are often depicted as having traditional gender roles and conforming to patriarchal structures based on the value of machismo. However, more recent research has highlighted that various models of masculinity exist within Hispanic/Latinx populations outside of the monolithic simplification of machismo, such as the incorporation of positive masculine traits, like respect and dignity, which can provide therapeutic advantages (Falicov, 2010). Therefore, Hispanic/ Latinx immigrant fathers may be able to bring their diverse cultural values and strengths when building positive relationships with home visitors. ...
Despite home visiting’s established legacy, the potential influence of intersecting parental characteristics on parent–worker relationships is less understood. This study examines the main and interaction effects of parents’ demographic characteristics on positive relationships with workers in home visiting and compares whether and how these effects differ between fathers and mothers. This study analyzed 130 mothers and 180 fathers who participated in home visiting services. Immigrant status was a significant predictor of positive worker relationships for mothers and fathers, whereas ethnicity was only significant for fathers. Interaction analyses indicated that U.S.-born Hispanic/Latinx fathers faced greater challenges in building positive worker relationships than their foreign-born counterparts. These findings highlight the importance of developing gender-specific and culturally responsive strategies to enhance parent–worker relationships.
... The higher external locus of control rating also aligns with values Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic faculty, staff, and administrators at HSIs felt characterized Hispanic culture (Preuss et al., 2019;Preuss et al., 2020a) and studies in psychology (Diaz, Blanco, Bajo & Stavraki, 2015) and health (Roncancio, Ward & Berenson, 2011) that confirm fatalistic outlooks among Hispanics. The presence of both higher internal and external locus of control illustrates the need to move beyond common or even stereotypic understandings (Arciniega, Anderson, Tovar-Blank & Tracey, 2008;Falicov, 2010) to facilitate culturally relevant and educationally advantageous interaction with Hispanic/Latinx students. ...
... They face waves of new sequentially linked and scaffolded information and seek in relative isolation to power through to an understanding. Yet, researchers correctly caution against overgeneralization of some elements of machismo and marianismo as negative (Castillo, Perez, Castillo & Ghosheh, 2010;Falicov, 2010). The authors agree these are "wider and much more complex" (Falicov, 2010, p. 310) "multidimensional realities" (Falicov,p. ...
... Es importante reconocer que lo masculino tiene fortalezas y que los hombres pueden re-conceptualizar la masculinidad para hacerla más a tono con sus propias necesidades y las necesidades de su familia. Hay investigadores que insisten en que debemos fortalecer precisamente la diversidad de construcciones de la masculinidad que poseen los hombres latinoameri-canos y que podemos enfatizar en un modelo más positivo de las características de lo masculino que representan fortalezas (Arciniega, et al, 208;Campos & salas, 2005;Falicov, 2010). Otros han desarrollado análisis de los diferentes modelos terapéuticos y su aplicabilidad a la terapia con hombres (Brooks, 2010). ...
El estudio de las masculinidades se ha iniciado para examinar el impacto de la construcción social de lo masculino en los hombres. Investigadores plantean que la masculinidad hegemónica, es el modelo dominante que se describe por manifestaciones de poder, control, dominio, una sexualidad desconectada, la restricción de las emociones, la constante demostración de independencia y violencia que caracteriza el modelo tradicional de lo que es “ser un hombre”.
... The vital element of Latino fathers was machismo, which referred to fathers' nurturing, affectionate, and protective role. The positive values of machismo consisted of sincerity, humility, and a strong work ethic (Falicov, 2010). In traditional Latino families, fathers are regarded as breadwinners, rarely as caretakers. ...
The paternal role has become one of the most topic discussions in parenting and has drawn researchers' intention worldwide. This research aimed to explore the existing literature relating to paternal roles across cultures, which analyzed 1) how the paternal roles in cultural perspectives have been researched; 2) what the parental values based on cultures mentioned in the literature are, and 3) what the topic discussed about the paternal role across culture is. The focus of the research was to find out the current trends of paternal roles across cultures from 2012 to 2022 derived from the Scopus database. The method used was a systematic review and followed PRISMA guidelines (the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis). The study revealed that most of the literature highlighted the significance of the fathers’ involvement in child-rearing in every culture (Indian, Japanese, Latino, Chinese, Indonesian, Norwegian, and Finland) and the improvement of paternal practices due to the adaptation of new cultures and the emergence of fathers' awareness to take part in their children's lives. It can be concluded that the paternal role in a collectivist culture still holds firm to the culture in parenting practices but has begun to experience a shift from the original position of breadwinner, protector, even disciplinarian and authoritarian, becoming the more involved father in child-rearing. While most fathers from individualist cultures had previously been involved in child care because they were supported by policies in their country of origin.
... The present study highlights a negative correlation of machismo and drinking frequency, as men with higher scores of machismo reported drinking less frequently. Contrary to the literature on machismo that has characterized men with higher levels of machismo with higher levels of risk taking and substance abuse behavior [11,18], the current study findings align with a wider perspective found in more recent ones [4,19]. According to the more recent perspective of masculinity norms, there is a multidimensional aspect of machismo that encompasses attributes such as chivalry, respect, and honor [4,12]. ...
Previous studies have found Latinx cultural values to be positively associated with healthy behaviors. This study aims to examine socioeconomic and cultural correlates of alcohol use among Latinx adult men living in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The study sample included 122 Latinx adult men (mean age = 44, SD = 10), predominantly of South and Central American origin. Data was collected using REDCap. Interviews included the Timeline Follow-Back scale for alcohol use. Results indicate that Caribbean participants were significantly less likely to report drinking in the past 90 days (aOR = 0.08, p = 0.042) compared to their Venezuelan counterparts. Higher machismo scores were associated with low drinking frequency (aRR = 0.67, p = 0.043), while no significant associations were found between machismo and other drinking outcomes. Drinking quantity and frequency are significantly associated with higher income and authorized immigration status in the US among Latinx men in South Florida. Higher machismo scores were associated with low drinking frequency.
... Bystander intervention can also provide authorities the opportunity to investigate the crime and push for the punishment of the perpetrator (Mabry & Turner, 2016). Given the strong machismo culture in Latin America, which emphasizes machismo behaviors along with other gendered stereotypes, denunciation is a big step forward (Falicov, 2010;Lamas, 1996), along with bystander intervention. The importance of intervention, paired with denunciation, as a more overt strategy cannot be overstated. ...
This study considers the role that public service announcements (PSAs) play in addressing violence against women (VAW) in Latin America. Using content analysis, the study examines 407 PSAs about VAW from 20 Latin American countries. The results show that 62.3% of the PSAs encourage bystanders to denounce violence while portraying women as victims in 48.8% of the PSAs. However, 71.7% of PSAs did not include a helpline or how to report the crime, only 11.8% of the PSAs have non-narrative, or factual information, about VAW, and just 6.4% engage in compelling narrative messaging or storytelling.
... Para Pulé (2013), muchos de los rasgos negativos masculinos descritos en Occidente pueden llegar a ser discursivos, esencialistas y heteronormativos. Por su parte, Falicov (2010) sostiene que hay rasgos masculinos no nocivos, como el respeto y la dignidad, los cuales han sido oscurecidos por una "gran narrativa del machismo" (p. 310). ...
El género en las ciencias sociales representa una categoría analítica (López, 2018), la cual evidencia el sesgo epistemológico en la producción de conocimiento occidental, producto del androcentrismo (Tarnas, 2007, p. 555; Martín, 2008, p. 20). Un ejemplo de esto es el uso del término “hombre” como categoría “universal indiferenciada” (Martín, 2008, p. 15), o la caracterización del pensamiento occidental como un “fenómeno masculino” canonizado y producido por los varones (Tarnas, 2007, p. 553). La obra de Kropotkin no escapa este sesgo, y he ahí su valor desde el estudio contemporáneo de la antropología de las masculinidades, ya que una buena parte de sus descripciones tratan sobre relaciones entre varones. Por su parte, las prácticas masculinas de cuidado son una intervención y un estilo de intervenir, una interacción entre gente, y entre gente y materialidades (Nissen, 2017, p. 552), que implican la generación de bienestar, manifestado en forma de solidaridad, cuidado y simpatía, entre otros posibles (Matamoros-Sanín, et al., 2019). Muchos ejemplos de ayuda mutua retomados por Kropotkin a principios del siglo XX pueden ser caracterizados de esta forma, como prácticas de cuidado realizadas entre varones.
Much of the research regarding Latino men’s health tends to focus on specific health outcomes (e.g., HIV or diabetes). Few studies have examined how Latino men perceive factors that influence their health and/or health-related behaviors. This study explored rural Latino men’s experiences and attitudes toward health, using photovoice, in the context of a community-based participatory research partnership. We recruited nine Latino men living in a small town in Southeastern Iowa. Four to nine men attended four sessions and led a community forum. All the men were foreign-born, identified as Latino, aged between 34 and 67 years, and had lived in the United States for at least 7 years. Five themes were identified: (a) cultural conflict, (b) too much and discordant information, (c) lifestyles conflict, (d) sacrifice, and (e) family connectedness. An important implication of this study derives from familial and community connections and sacrifice. Feeling disconnected from family may impact physical and mental health and health-promoting behaviors. Future research should explore ways to inform community- and family-level interventions to connect rural Latino men more strongly to their family and local community and help them to take better control of their health.
In previous chapters, it was suggested that the documentaries aired by the PBS program POV tended to approach migration as a phenomenon with universal, group, and individual planes of experience. To put this hypothesis to the test, the present chapter delves into the universal experience of fatherhood, as lived by Latinx migrants and as translated from the real to the reel in two POV documentaries: 90 Miles (Zadívar, 2003) and Voices of the Sea (Hopkins, 2018). In order to capture the essence of these films’ discourses on migrant fathers, the chapter holds their content up to the light of established literature on fatherhood. More specifically, the chapter argues that documentary makers Juan Carlos Zaldívar and Kim Hopkins explore the psychological turmoil that accompanies their protagonists’ decision to defect to the United States and leave their Cuban homeland behind. In their films, Zaldívar and Hopkins test the boundaries of the machista stereotypes of authoritative sternness and mental stoicism that are traditionally expected of Latinx fathers. Additionally, by depicting migration as a fickle endeavor that the Cuban fathers featured in their films approach as a gamble, the documentary makers end up exposing the ambiguity of the US immigration policy toward Cuba.KeywordsDocumentary maker as translatorDocumentary film discourseLatinx immigrantCaballerismoCuban migrantMigrant fatherMachismo
Lay Health Workers Engaging Latino Fathers: A qualitative study
Behavioral Parent Training programs (BPTs) are evidence-based interventions that have been shown to be effective when implemented in various contexts and with different racial/ethnic minority families. Despite evidence showing their effectiveness within the Latinx community, disparities in access to BPTs still persist. In addition, fathers continue to show low rates of attendance and engagement despite evidence suggesting positive outcomes for the youth and family when fathers are involved in BPT treatment. Lay health workers (LHWs), community members without specialized metal health training that often live in the communities they serve, have been identified as engagement specialists that are uniquely positioned to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in access to services. The current study utilized a qualitative approach to examine this workforce’s perspectives on engaging Latino fathers in parenting services in children’s mental health. The study seeks to identify and highlight the unique training needs of a particular work force that has been characterized as engagement specialists. Qualitative themes revealed that LHWs experienced rigidly defined gender roles and culturally-bound gender norms (e.g., machismo) as the main barriers to Latino father engagement. Themes also emerged around inventive strategies that LHWs have had some success with when attempting to engage fathers in treatment. Considerations for future LHW trainings and workforce development are discussed with a focus on how to incorporate cultural values in the use of father-engagement strategies.
The first in-depth analysis of how Mexican cinema has both supported and subverted the construction of a gendered and sexualized national identity.