The Sandinista Revolution Changed Traditional Gender Roles
How the Sandinista Revolution Changed Traditional Gender Roles
Before the Nicaraguan Sandinista Revolution had taken place in the late 1970s, male and female gender roles had been clearly and traditionally defined as to how one should behave and conduct one’s self. Men and women identified these ideal traits and behaviors for potential husbands and wives, or as guidelines in how to raise their children, and even so that the family order of gender role was not upset. Traditional male behavior had originally been based around the notion of machismo. In this way, they are meant to act aggressive, violent, dominant, sexually conquer and drink and gamble. Women on the other hand were expected to be soft spoken, obedient and caretaker of the household. Once the Revolution started, and as times were getting harder, the idea of the ideal New Man and woman had changed.
“Two sets of values coexist, compete, and more than occasionally blur: the ideals of machismo, with its cult of aggressive masculinity, defined as a mode of sexual and physical conquest; and the ideals of the revolutionary New Man, who is envisioned as hard working, devoted and family oriented (Lancaster, 1992; pg. 40).” For women, her traditional role was in the household taking care of the children, cleaning, cooking and washing as would be expected. Furthermore, she was unable to voice her objections or opinions to her husbands’ sometimes abusive tendencies, and from that the New Woman had evolved also. Women started to lose faith in the war, growing tired as they were losing many husbands and sons to the war. Throughout Lancaster’s Life Is Hard, one can watch as the behaviors and society gender roles start to change as the Sandinista Revolution continued.
“The new idea of a good man- that is, the revolutionary New Man- is someone who studies to improve himself and his country, who works hard, who is responsible toward his companera, his children, and is generous with those around him. The old idea of a good man- the ideal of machismo- was someone who could drink, fight gamble, and have a large number of sexual conquests (Lancaster, 1992; pg. 175).” Jaime is a good example of the New Man. He entirely supported the Sandinista Revolution in which he believed in improving his country, also an extremely bright scholar who kept improving himself through education; he was also a good friend and generous...