The birth of the machista : changing conceptions of the Nicaraguan masculine

This thesis examines the concept of masculinity as it concerns a group of male community leaders from impoverished neighbourhoods of Léon, Nicaragua. In collaboration with the non-governmental organization, Centro de Información y Servicios de Asesoría en Salud (CISAS) and utilizing person-centred ethnography, it explores masculinity in Nicaragua as reflected at the level of the individual. The work proposes that masculinities in Nicaragua are not as simple as some have suggested. Moreover, it relies on a Foucauldian analysis of disciplinary power to explicate the foundations of said conceptions as well as to develop new understandings of the idea of machismo. Following analysis of an interview series and a thorough review of relevant literature, this thesis places Nicaraguan conceptions of masculinity as being discrete according to individuals. Moreover, the work deconstructs the notion of machismo as being nothing more than an individuated subject, most likely imposed on Nicaragua and, by extension, various other Latin American cultures, by forces exogenous to Latin America. Finally, this thesis discusses the tie that masculinity and health have as well as the influence that CISAS has on the personal lives of the research participants as well as their work in their communities.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (M.Sc.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Community Health and Epidemiology

Grantor

University of Saskatchewan

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• Wiebe, Adam Robert

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Hanson, Lori

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Janzen, Bonnie
• Downe, Pamela

• Community Health
• Nicaragua
• Masculinity
• Latin America
• Central America
• Machismo
• Gender

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10388/etd-09212009-114000

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:harvest.usask.ca:10388/etd-09212009-114000