Male discourses over female power in Chile. Subjects and subjectiveness

Abstract

The present contribution deals with the meaning of the feminine leadership from a masculine perspective. By using a qualitative approach, opened interviews were developed to understand the meaning that men assign to the feminine leadership. The speeches were analyzed on the basis of the Strauss/Corbin-theory (2003). The results show that men agree with the changes experienced by the gender rolls. In a specific way men agree that women need to have more societaleconomic opportunities, that it is necessary to have more equitable relationship inside the family. However within this positive framework, emerging tensions configure a dissatisfaction of the masculinity that in turn impact the intimate sphere questioning the present day inter-gender relationship. Finally, there is a men group with more progressive speeches which venture towards a positive evaluation of the women capacities and their assumed public space-rolls. However this positive evaluation is vigilant, ambivalent, and influenced by a perception of confidence/uncertainty, efficiency/inefficiency of the effective societal contribution that women are able to reach.