Marianismo, Machismo, and Mexican American High School Students' Perceptions of Gendered Sexual Norms.

Mexican American teenagers' perceptions of sexual norms are influenced by marianismo and machismo, as well as friends and family. Within that social context, religion, especially Catholicism, influences those norms as well. Both females and males are socialized to gendered norms about sex and sexual expectations. Women are taught, in part, to satisfy men's sexual desires, but also to remain virgins. This study was conducted to investigate Mexican American High School students' perceptions of sex and gender norms. From a survey of 348 students, this study created two regression models to examine perspectives on sex and gender norms for women. The first regression model, which examined a Female Sex Norms Index, reflected increased liberal perspectives about women and sex for grade level (p<0.001) and LGBTQ identification (p<0.001). Students are more likely to reflect more liberal beliefs when they perceive more liberal perspectives of their parents (p<0.05) and their friends (p<0.05). However, growing up in a very religious family (p<0.05) was significantly related to more conservative perspectives on gender-based sex norms for women. The second regression model, which focused on an Assertive Female Sex Norms Index, again found that grade level (p<0.05) and LGBTQ status (p<0.05) were significantly and positively related to more liberal perspectives, whereas growing up in a very religious family was related to significantly more conservative perspectives (p<0.05). Overall, both models suggest that increasing grade level, a proxy for age, and LGBTQ status relate to more liberal perspectives on women and sex norms. Growing up in a religious family, on the other hand, related to significantly more conservative perspectives of Mexican American High School students. Gender was not significant in either model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]