Resumo

ROCHA-COUTINHO, Maria Lúcia. New options, old dilemmas: women, close relationships, marriage, and career in Brazil. Temas psicol. [online]. 2004, vol.12, n.1, pp. 02-17. ISSN 1413-389X.

This paper presents part of the results of a research project on the identity of the urban middle class Brazilian women, and on how they perceive maternity, close relationships, sexuality, marriage and career, among other aspects of their lives. We interviewed 25 university students, aged 18 to 28, and enrolled in different courses of private and public universities of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The interviews were taped recorded and transcribed and the resulting texts were analyzed according to the following categories: maternity; sexuality; family; close relationships; physical appearance; professional career. The discourse analysis pointed to the fact that new attitudes and behaviors on the part of women are seen as not only possible, but also as desirable. However, their acceptance conflicts with old discourses that used to define women’s and men’s identities. As a result, for our interviewees, contemporary women should be multiple if they want to fulfill theirs and society’s expectations: a competent professional, a cult, intelligent and sensuous woman, a good housekeeper and mother, and an affectionate companion

Palavras-chave : Discourse; identity; gender.

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