Machismo refers to a strong sense of masculine pride and the valuation of masculine characteristics over feminine ones. For Filipino men, machismo involves proving one's virility through unlimited sexual freedom before marriage, whereas women are expected to remain virgins. Negative implications of machismo include hypersexuality, alcoholism, paternalism, and violence, as machismo is associated with crime and lawlessness. However, the underlying historical values of machismo were responsibility, respect, community leadership, and defending family, referred to now as "caballerismo."
2. Machismo
(from Spanish "macho", male, often referred to as “macho man syndrome.”)
is the sense of being manly, the concept associated with "a strong sense of
masculine pride.
the supreme valuation of characteristics culturally associated with the
masculine and a denigration of characteristics associated with the feminine.
3. Filipino Machismo
One speaks of “machismo”–possibly meaning “manhood” but more accurately
indicating the man’s cultural manifestation of his virility. Through sexual relations
he can prove his capability, while otherwise he has few possibilities of exercising
his “prowess.”
Unlike the man, the Filipino woman is expected to keep herself a virgin for the
man she will marry. Unwed men are not expected to do so; he is in fact given
unlimited freedom in sexual matters as part of his “pagkalalake” (being a man).
4. Negative implications
Hypersexuality - there is a sense that a “real” man has a strong sexual
appetite that cannot always be satisfied by one woman.
Alcoholism - Another impact of machismo on health is alcoholism. “Real men
drink” is a belief common to many cultures. In machismo in
particular, Seqeuira (2009) points out that heavy drinking is glorified in
this culture because a sign of manly strength and dominance is being
able to drink a lot without showing its effects.
.
5. Negative Implications
Paternalism - Acting superior towards his or mate. They are man, thus
their spouse, any children and property are theirs! They don't share!
Violence - Machismo as a cultural factor is substantially associated with
crime, violence, and lawlessness independently of the
structural control variables.
6. Modern Machismo
Caballerismo
The underlying values historically behind machismo were not sexism and
dominance, but instead were instead responsibility and respect. Notably,
being “macho” was associated with strong community leadership, defending
family and family honor, personal responsibility, emotional connectedness,
and spirituality. These values are becoming referred to as “caballerismo”,
which is based on traditional Spanish chivalry (Arciniega et al, 2008).
