10 examples of micromachisms in our day to day
Although society has made significant progress in terms of equality between men and women, the truth is that there are still some traces of machismo that appear in multiple situations of daily life. There are those who believe that these subtleties are not important, but the truth is that they insidiously threaten the freedom and equality of women compared to men.
What is a micromachismo?
These gaps are known as micro-chasms, a term used to refer to subtle maneuvers and strategies that attack the dignity of women in a more or less perceptible way. These discreet manipulations make it possible to impose the interests of the male sex on women in everyday life scenarios, which explains why they are so normalized.
One particularity of micromachisms is that they are often issued by people whose social discourse is not macho. That is to say, these types of subtle attacks against the equality between both sexes are often carried out in an unconscious way, without any intention. However, this does not exempt us from taking responsibility and learning to be aware of those comments we make and are not appropriate.
In addition, some individuals are aware of the connotation of their words and deliberately make macho comments. The ultimate goal pursued with this type of comment is to maintain their privileged position in front of them, reaffirming those roles that the traditional culture has assigned to each sex.
Although sexist violence is usually associated with physical attacks on women, it can manifest itself in many ways. Usually, before this type of violence becomes so explicit, verbal, psychological and social violence usually occurs, which creates the perfect breeding ground that gives license to the execution of the most serious mistreatments. The micromachisms are named for their subtlety, but this does not detract from the seriousness or importance of what they symbolize.
Whether you are a woman or not, Surely you have heard countless micromachisms throughout your life. If you want to know some typical examples, keep reading, because in this article we are going to review them.
What are the most common micromachisms in everyday life?
As we have been commenting, micromachisms are a subtle signal that indicates that full equality between men and women has not yet been achieved. Let's see some examples:
1. Say that a man "helps" at home
This micromachismo is one of the most widespread and normalized. When a man is involved in housework, it is often said that he is helping. This implies assuming that housework is something assigned to women.In such a way that when they collaborate, they do so as a help and not as an equal participation in which the responsibility of the house is shared.
2. Feeling inferior or upset that the woman's salary is higher than your own
Many men whose female partner earns more than they do tend to feel self-conscious. This is because the male has always been assigned the role of the out-of-home worker who brings the income to the family. When women have begun to enter the labor market reaching positions of responsibility, many men have seen that traditional masculinity threatened. Money is synonymous with power and it is considered inconceivable that a woman surpasses a man in power.
3. Putting the pleasure of the man before the woman in sexual relations
This aspect is also usually very frequent. Many men and women educated in a macho way behave in the sexual plane according to these types of values. Thus, his wants and needs are the ultimate goal of intimate relationships, hers being something totally secondary. Throughout history, many women have had a totally unsatisfactory sex life for this reason, as their pleasure has never been considered important.
Machismo also makes an appearance in matters related to children. Many parents divide their tasks in a certain way that reveals those gender roles that are still very entrenched. While they accompany their children to the doctor or shopping, they take care of taking them to their training sessions. Although these aspects are subtle and can go unnoticed, the truth is that they hide an important meaning.
5. Ask when a woman is going to be a mother and not ask this question to men
It is very common for women to be exposed throughout their fertile stage to the question of whether they want to be mothers. Although this aspect is very personal and no one should feel obliged to explain it, the question would not be so unfortunate if it were not for the fact that men do not receive it.
They always carry the burden of motherhood, being judged many times in case they do not want to have children. These types of issues have come to occur in job interviews, which means that many women who want to be mothers in the medium term are rejected as candidates in favor of their male colleagues. Motherhood is still sometimes seen as a matter that exclusively concerns women, when it is not at all.
6. Consider it normal for television presenters to be funny and witty, while they stand out for their physical appearance
In the world of television we can find countless micromachisms. One of the most typical has to do precisely with this differentiation. Male presenters are not necessarily attractive. Their talents as show hosts are understood to go beyond looks - they can be witty, funny, patient, or blunt. However, women in these positions seem to have to meet the standard of beauty in addition to all the other qualities.
This is because the show that is offered continues to seek the liking of the male audience. Have you ever wondered what it would be like the other way around? A physically attractive presenter and a less spectacular but very funny presenter. This combination, very surely, would surprise you at first glance. Although you have noticed this happening, you may never have noticed before that its explanation lies in the chinks of machismo.
7. Apply different limits to sons and daughters
Many parents tend to educate their children differently depending on whether they are boys or girls. A very clear example can be seen in the hours of arrival at home. While they are allowed to return later, they are set an earlier time. Many fathers and mothers claim to do this to "protect" their daughters, but the truth is that it is an act of discrimination.
8. Being a waiter and making incorrect assumptions
There are many waiters who, unconsciously, when they go to serve meals They deposit the alcohol to the boy and the non-alcoholic drink to her. It is also common to give the bill to the boy, assuming that he will pay it. These types of actions have their reason for being in outdated beliefs that assume that he is the one who has the economic power and who does “manly” things like drinking alcohol.
9. Shut up in the face of macho comments from others
Although sometimes micromachisms are not broadcast explicitly, the truth is that not reacting to the macho comments of others has a similar effect. In many groups of friends made up of men, it is frequent that if one of them says some micromachismo, the others do not react for fear that the others will disapprove of them. If the friends acted before the micro-chauvinisms of one of them, this type of verbalization would be reduced.
10. Differentiated toys
It is common to observe the segregation between boy's and girl's toys. While theirs are construction games, vehicles, weapons, or science, theirs revolve around cooking, makeup, and baby care and clothing. Although these differentiations are gradually changing, there is still a deeply ingrained belief in what kinds of games boys and girls should play based on their sex. Remember, if you are going to give something to a boy or girl, do not take these schemes for granted and ask for their real preferences, not those based on stereotypes.
Conclusions.
In this article we have talked about micromachisms and we have reviewed some examples that we can hear in our daily lives. Micromachisms are subtle comments or actions, sometimes almost imperceptible, that nevertheless have enormous meaning. These remind us that remnants of archaic ideas of the past remain in which women and men were not on an equal footing.
Knowing these micromachisms allows us to acquire a greater awareness about it, as well as a critical sense that allows us to modify those verbalizations that we make ourselves and also our relatives. Although its name seems to indicate the opposite, the impact of micro-sex is high and undermines the dignity of women in all areas of their lives (family, work, personal ...).
Although the situation of inequality has undergone great improvements in recent years, we cannot forget that the scourge of machismo will not be eradicated until all traces of discrimination disappear.
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