Covert Cultural Norms And Sex/Gender Meaning: A Mexico City Case

Abstract

In Santo Sitio domestic relationships are being transformed by the emergence of economically empowered women who own property or work in the entertainment/commercial sex industry as ficheras or bar girls. Economic necessity forces some men to depend on economically empowered women, but this strategy places males in a serious social, cultural, and moral predicament. This dependency on women suggests ideal male-dominant gender ideology does not translate into normative behavior at the local level. Gender ideology renders what is culturally expected of males and females as members of society, but this knowledge will not reveal all since ideology does not always correspond to behavior nor is it consistently desirable as a practical guide in reallife situations. Discrepancies between Mexican gender ideology and actual behavior suggest the use of alternative gender-based norms which do not coincide with popular notions of male-dominance. These covert cultural norms can be detected through an understanding of the complex interplay between ideal sex-gender concepts, actual behavior, and the strategic use of pretense by Mexican men and women. These norms allow Mexican men and women to negotiate between traditional and alternative normative behavior investing women with the power to check, subvert, or complement male-dominant behavior.