Macho Men and Demure Women? Shaming in Postrevolutionary Orizaba, Mexico, 1920–40

Macho Men and Demure Women? Shaming in Postrevolutionary Orizaba, Mexico: 1920-1940

The labor victories that men attained during and following the Mexican Revolution advanced working class power and masculinity. Male textile and railway workers in Orizaba attained better wages and working conditions and organized powerful labor unions to represent their interests. Scholars have noted the culture of hyper-masculinity that accompanied these victories. However, women were adept at challenging men’s power in a variety of arenas. This paper examines the tactics women employed to subvert a culture of machismo, which entailed both informal strategies such as public shaming or legal actions such as divorce proceedings.