Abstract

HAGENE, Turid. The Monkey, the Virgin and Suffering in Latin American Gender Studies. Nueva antropol [online]. 2006, vol.20, n.66, pp.157-170. ISSN 0185-0636.

This text falls within the realm of Latin American gender studies. It explores the meaning of the "feminine suffering" discourse and the relations of power-subordination or victimization of women, using as an example a case study of a group of women owners and workers at a seamstress cooperative in a small city of Carazo, Nicaragua, in 1983-1996. The author explores these women's ability to act and negotiate as a group and the high degree of management capacity they have demonstrated in diverse social contexts, including the possibility of countering their husbands' infidelities. In light of this case study, the concept of "marianismo" (as a mechanism of feminine victimization) is discussed and contrasted with the management capacity of Nicaraguan women, who show an ability to transform suffering and self-sacrifice into influence and power.

Keywords : gender; power; feminine suffering; management capacity.