The Influence of Marianismo on Psychoanalytic Work with Latinas

Abstract

Marianismo, the traditional sexual code of behavior for Latinas, specifies chastity before marriage, sexual passivity after marriage, and the subordination of women to men. In addition to describing traditional gender role expectations for Latinos, this paper discusses marianismo as an important organizer of various conflicts experienced by Latinas. It also presents selected case material from a psychoanalysis to illustrate the impact of Marianismo on the therapeutic process when both the analyst and the patient are Latinas.