Machismo & Latinx Family Functioning

Abstract

Previous research highlights machismo's role in Latinx family functioning, serving as a key factor in how families navigate social, economic, and institutional stressors and inequities. To better understand its impact on family well-being, this study explores the relationship between machismo family values and levels of family conflict, cohesion, and communication. Through an anonymous online survey of 51 close-ended questions and the use of The Machismo and Caballerismo Scale (Arciniega et al., 2008) and the Brief Family Relationship Scale (Fok et al., 2014), this study examines nuanced perceptions of their family's values of machismo and family functioning within Latinx families. Although results revealed no significant relationship between machismo and family functioning, cohesion, communication, and conflict domains, findings revealed a stronger relationship between cabellerismo and family functioning. Findings indicated that caballerismo is positively and significantly correlated with family cohesion, suggesting that households with higher caballerismo value and experience greater family unity and emotional closeness. Unveiling a relationship between caballerismo and Latinx family functioning promotes reason to further study positive features of current dualities of machismo that can help implement interventions that foster healthy Latinx family relationships