Machismo
Machismo is a noun of Spanish origin, and refers to a prominently exhibited or excessive
masculinity. The word
machismo—and its derivatives
machista and
macho, "he who espouses
machismo"—comes from the
Spanish word
macho, meaning "male" or "manly". (The word
macho literally translates as "
male", but is applied primarily to animals in this sense.) In
Spanish macho can sometimes mean "
courageous" or "
valorous", although
machista rarely has such positive connotations.
As an attitude, machismo ranges from a personal sense of virility to a more extreme
masculism. Many
machistas also believe it is their right as men to seek extramarital adventures, although women are to remain faithful.
Machistas believe that women were created to stay home and be mothers and wives. Thus, most
machistas believe firmly in the superiority of men over women.
Some acts of
domestic violence against women have been committed by men who consider themselves superior to women, whereby the doctrine of
machista such violence may often be called appropriate or justified.
The most common Spanish term for a woman with exaggerated feminine pride is
feminista (as in "
feminist"), although some Spanish speakers prefer the female equivalent of
macho:
hembra ("female" in Spanish), as in
"Yo soy muy macho, pero tú eres muy hembra" (I am very
macho, but you are very
hembra). Today, both
feminista and
hembra are widely used in modern Spanish. In Hispanic cultures, women who display male-like characteristics or interests, are also identified. In English-speaking cultures, these women are typically called
tomboys. In Mexico, the term used for this type of woman is
mari-macha (i.e. both Maria and Macho).
Machismo, of course is not only a feature of
Hispanic culture.
Depending on the country,
machistas are viewed with either respect or with disdain. In
Mexico, many men consider it an honor to be called a
machista. The Mexican/Dominican actor
Andrés GarcÃa has long been pointed to as a typical example of the Mexican
machista man. In
Peru, talk show host
Laura Bozzo (
Laura en América) spends a good number of her shows exposing
machista men and teaching them a lesson.
In many cultures, from
Latin America to
Korea to countries of the
Muslim world,
machismo is acceptable and even expected. In 2004, the Spanish government and Spanish media began to take on the entire concept of machismo, linking it directly to a spate of notorious
domestic violence crimes perpetrated by men against their own wives or female companions.
In American literature, a memorable example of machismo comes from
Tennessee Williams' character
Stanley Kowalski, the egotistical brother-in-law in
A Streetcar Named Desire. In the play (and in the motion picture), Stanley epitomises the hyper-masculine
alpha male, socially and physically dominating and imposing his will upon his wife and her sister,
Blanche Dubois. Bound up with Stanley's aggressive and occasionally
misogynist views is a strong sense of
pride and
honor which leads to his hatred of Blanche.
*
Culture of Mexico â€" Family*
Black Legend, a set of negative
memes about Spain
*
Latin lover*
Don Juan, the Spanish archetype of the seducer
*
Carmen, the Spanish archetype of the passionate woman
*
Marianismo*
Testosterone poisoning
