This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Whoistheroach (talk | contribs) at 15:25, 27 June 2007 (→In Spanish). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 15:25, 27 June 2007 by Whoistheroach (talk | contribs) (→In Spanish)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) For other uses, see Machismo (disambiguation).Machismo is a prominently exhibited or excessive masculinity. As an attitude, machismo ranges from a personal sense of virility to a more extreme masculism. In many cultures, machismo is acceptable and even expected.
The trait may be seen as the product of runaway evolution, as Frits Staal notes,
- The peacock's tail, the grotesquely enlarged claw of the male fiddler crab and the machismo of members of the human species are all exaggerated features that may cause injury to individuals that display them but attract females.
In literature
In American literature, a memorable example of machismo comes from Tennessee Williams' character Stanley Kowalski, the egotistical brother-in-law in A Streetcar Named Desire. In the play (and in the motion picture), Stanley epitomises the hyper-masculine alpha male, socially and physically dominating and imposing his will upon his wife and her sister, Blanche Dubois. Bound up with Stanley's aggressive and occasionally misogynist views is a strong sense of pride and honor which leads to his hatred of Blanche.
In Spanish
The English word machismo is borrowed from the Spanish word machismo, which is derived from Spanish macho, meaning "male " or, when used metaphorically, "virile". In both English and Spanish, machismo refers variously to both the display of excessive masculinity and to the belief that males should dominate. As such, it means "sexism" or "male chauvinism" (along with the Spanish adjective machista, "sexist" or "male chauvinist"). The same happens in Portuguese. In both Spanish and English, macho means "masculine" or "very masculine", but occasionally the English use of macho means the same as "machista", i.e., "male chauvinist".
Notes
- Staal, Noam Chomsky Between the Human and Natural Sciences, Janus Head (2001)
- Online Etymology Dictionary's entry for "machismo"
- Entry for machismo at the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy
- Entry for macho at dictionary.com