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Querida mamá - Stigmatization and Vulnerability of Single Mothers in the Guatemalan Countryside

Andersson, Jonna LU (2010) SOCK01 20101
Sociology
Abstract
Based on individual interviews with six single mothers in the Guatemalan countryside this thesis describes the stigmatization and vulnerability of women who depart from the norm of a society ruled by men. Guatemala is an underdeveloped and violent country, where both men and women are exposed. The vulnerability of women, however, is in many cases huge since the culture of machismo and male superiority is very dominant within the country. To become a mother in this kind of society, without living together with a man, is a departure from the norm leading to stigmatization and exclusion. The aim of this thesis is to create a bigger understanding for the women ending up in stigmatization, describing their situation as they understand it. By... (More)
Based on individual interviews with six single mothers in the Guatemalan countryside this thesis describes the stigmatization and vulnerability of women who depart from the norm of a society ruled by men. Guatemala is an underdeveloped and violent country, where both men and women are exposed. The vulnerability of women, however, is in many cases huge since the culture of machismo and male superiority is very dominant within the country. To become a mother in this kind of society, without living together with a man, is a departure from the norm leading to stigmatization and exclusion. The aim of this thesis is to create a bigger understanding for the women ending up in stigmatization, describing their situation as they understand it. By using qualitative interviews and a balance between closeness and distance in the study, the thesis focuses on the standpoint of the mothers. The thesis describes a tough reality facing single mothers breaking the norm in the Guatemalan society. By showing that they are able to live without a man the mothers at the same time question the norm and slowly break their own stigma, showing that female independency is possible. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Andersson, Jonna LU
supervisor
organization
course
SOCK01 20101
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Guatemala, single mothers, machismo, stigmatization
language
English
id
1615013
date added to LUP
2010-06-28 10:37:41
date last changed
2011-05-12 15:48:37
@misc{1615013,
  abstract     = {{Based on individual interviews with six single mothers in the Guatemalan countryside this thesis describes the stigmatization and vulnerability of women who depart from the norm of a society ruled by men. Guatemala is an underdeveloped and violent country, where both men and women are exposed. The vulnerability of women, however, is in many cases huge since the culture of machismo and male superiority is very dominant within the country. To become a mother in this kind of society, without living together with a man, is a departure from the norm leading to stigmatization and exclusion. The aim of this thesis is to create a bigger understanding for the women ending up in stigmatization, describing their situation as they understand it. By using qualitative interviews and a balance between closeness and distance in the study, the thesis focuses on the standpoint of the mothers. The thesis describes a tough reality facing single mothers breaking the norm in the Guatemalan society. By showing that they are able to live without a man the mothers at the same time question the norm and slowly break their own stigma, showing that female independency is possible.}},
  author       = {{Andersson, Jonna}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Querida mamá - Stigmatization and Vulnerability of Single Mothers in the Guatemalan Countryside}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}