Abstract

OLIVEIRA, Ana Carolina Graner Araujo; LEONIDAS, Carolina  and  SCORSOLINI-COMIN, Fabio. Gender roles in long-term marriages: continuance or rupture?. Psicol. clin. [online]. 2020, vol.32, n.2, pp. 251-272. ISSN 0103-5665.  http://dx.doi.org/10.33208/PC1980-5438v0032n02A03.

Marital relationships and family configurations changed in the twentieth century. However, research indicates that household chores and child care are still assigned to women, even when they actively participate in family economy, demonstrating that men and women play different roles in marriage. This descriptive and qualitative study investigated the construction and expression of gender roles in long-term marriages by interviewing 32 couples married for at least 30 years. These couples were from towns in the countryside of the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, in Brazil. Individual interviews were conducted with each spouse and with the dyads, comprising 96 interviews transcribed and submitted to content analysis. As main result, it was found there is a coexistence of both traditional and contemporary values which influence these couples' experiences and perceptions. The assignment of each spouse's responsibilities, however, continues to be linked to historically established gender roles, although arrangements can be observed, especially on the part of the wives.

Keywords : marriage; gender; marital relationship.

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