Gender rules are a set of societal norms dictating which behaviors are ideal based on one’s perceived or actual sex. Latin American countries have patriarchal roots, which refers to the control of female and younger male family members by select adult men. Ergo, traditional gender roles dictate that women are relegated to the private sphere where they are expected to be nurturing and morally superior to men, and they are assigned duties associated with the family, particularly the rearing and education of children (Zimmerman 2013:4). In contrast, the men have control over the public sphere, and are responsible for delegating matters outside of the household and providing financial stability for the family. Despite these traditional roles, society
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These daily soap operas became extremely popular during the 1980’s and 1990’s, with that trend continuing into the present. As noted by scholar A´ lvaro Cueva, widely popular telenovelas such as Cuna de Lobos (‘Den of Wolves’, Televisa, Mexico, 1986) would cause: all of Mexico turned inside out [ ... ] People left work early [ ... ] Bars and restaurants, that normally played sports on their TV screens, changed channels to tune in to Cuna de Lobos. The streets emptied, the subject was even discussed in the Chamber of Deputies. (2006, 17)
Traditional telenovelas, or telenovelas rosa are “characterized by a central story of heterosexual love in which obstacles and intrigues plague the main couple, who have to overcome these impediments and schemes in order to achieve happiness together” (Acosta-Alzuru 2003). The ways in which the female and male protagonists are portrayed within a certain telenovela are representative of the traditional gender roles that are present in Latin America. In
These daily soap operas became extremely popular during the 1980’s and 1990’s, with that trend continuing into the present. As noted by scholar A´ lvaro Cueva, widely popular telenovelas such as Cuna de Lobos (‘Den of Wolves’, Televisa, Mexico, 1986) would cause: all of Mexico turned inside out [ ... ] People left work early [ ... ] Bars and restaurants, that normally played sports on their TV screens, changed channels to tune in to Cuna de Lobos. The streets emptied, the subject was even discussed in the Chamber of Deputies. (2006, 17)
Traditional telenovelas, or telenovelas rosa are “characterized by a central story of heterosexual love in which obstacles and intrigues plague the main couple, who have to overcome these impediments and schemes in order to achieve happiness together” (Acosta-Alzuru 2003). The ways in which the female and male protagonists are portrayed within a certain telenovela are representative of the traditional gender roles that are present in Latin America. In