Latino Dynamics in the Workforce

Latino Men’s Hands-off Approach to the Job Occupations of Women

Mar 13, 2009 Maureen Zieber

There has always been a separation of men and women in the workforce. Every race and culture has its own dynamics. Here, Latino men and women are the focus.

For centuries, women have been an essential and visible asset to the workforce. Women work out of necessity, or to supplement their husband’s incomes, and most times the work they do for low or lower pay than men is grossly undervalued. For women of color and other marginalized people in the United States, their hassles run deep. Currently, the biggest minority group is Latino Americans. What is briefly being reflected here are the gender roles that are distributed between Latino men and women, in comparison to general work roles.

The Basics of Men's Verses Women's Work

According to research done in the past, the idea of gender-specific roles within the household began thousands of years ago during a time period that was based on the establishing of cities or urban centers. In those societies, women’s work was less valued because it was centered on child bearing and rearing, and keeping house. Today, housework is seen as less gendered, but there are some situations where it is hard to overlook. Another explanation of more work being done in the home by men is more woman then ever are in the workforce. Men do more, but as soon as their women get home, the men stop and let the women take over no matter how long their day has been.

‘Machismo’ in the Latino Family

Stereotypically, Latino families are viewed as controlled, ridged and with a level of ‘machismo’. In a study that was done, one researcher found that Latino men do less household work then their Caucasian counterparts. In a span of a week, Latino men might do 24 hours of work, versus 26 hours per week for their counterparts. Many Latino men feel that they do their jobs by bringing money home for their families, and therefore housework is not their responsibility, even if their wives work even shift lengths. Latina women sometimes believe that they are co-providers for their families and equals to their husbands when dealing with certain issues. But money issues and big family decisions are still ultimately decided by the men in the homes. But, no matter their race, all women have a sense of being positive role models for their daughters as well as sons.

When women do find themselves in the public sector, they are usually at entry level positions: secretaries, educators and all levels within the retail world. Many times, Latina women are working in fast food restaurants, as janitors, servers, or cooks. They are also maids for the private sector or for the pubic sector in hotels. There are times that other sectors will find Latina women there, and it is becoming more prevalent in the modern era. However, no matter their occupation, Latina women are strong willed and determined to do what they feel is necessary to help their families first, and then themselves.

Sources:

Lorber, J. (1998). Gender Inequality: Feminist theories and politics. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury Books.

Pinto, K. (2006). Taking out the trash: Radical and gender differences in the effect of marital status on housework. (ERIC)

Rowbotham,S. (1973). Women’s consciousness, man’s world. New York, NY: Pelican Books.

Weinstein, J. (2005). Social & cultural change: Social science for a dynamic world. [2nd edition]. New York, NY: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

The copyright of the article Latino Dynamics in the Workforce in Workplace Culture is owned by Maureen Zieber. Permission to republish Latino Dynamics in the Workforce in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Man and Woman