15 examples of micromachismos in everyday life (and how to identify them)

Micromachismos are subtle behaviors, many of them normalized in society, that go against equality between men and women, mainly affecting these latest. The main problem with this type of machismo and the reason that makes it so dangerous is that are difficult to identify and are deeply rooted in the population.

But this should not be an excuse to justify its use or do nothing to change it, we must be alert and try not to use this type of expression, since these beliefs end up harming both men and women, both must meet expectations, tastes or characteristics that may not go with they. If you want to know more about micromachismo, as well as some common examples to better identify it, you cannot miss this article.

• We recommend you read: "Micromachismo: the form of subtle machismo that women experience daily"

What is a micromachismo?

If we break down the term, we see that it is made up of the word machismo, which refers to actions and behaviors that attempt against equality between men and women, placing women in a lower place than men, and by the micro prefix that, as we already know, indicates small. In this case we will understand by micromachismo the

behaviors or expressions that discriminate against women but that are presented in a subtle way, being difficult to identify.

The subtlety of this type of machismo means that many times we are not aware of them and even use them without knowing the meaning attributed to them. Another factor that hinders their recognition is that many of them are deeply rooted in society, for example are expressions that have been used for a long time, making people rarely question their meaning or validity. Given these characteristics, this kind of machismo is dangerous since it can be difficult to eradicate.

For this reason we must be especially vigilant and not miss any kind of machismo. Whether we downplay these subtleties or accept them on the grounds that they are part of tradition, we are supporting gender inequality and we are making way for these differences to escalate and go further.

It is important to educate in an egalitarian way, what we currently know as coeducation, we must take special care with language, since it can show erroneous and sexist expressions that are normalized, but this is not a reason to conform and give up on the way to end the differences.

Examples of micromachismo in everyday life

The micromachismos and the acceptance they have in society They indicate that there is still inequality and that sometimes the male figure is seen or presented as more powerful, with more capacity, with more strength, ultimately superior to the female. This term will cease to be useful or meaningful when the inequalities disappear.

Given the difficulty in identifying micromachismos and how integrated they are in our day to day life, here are some of the most common micromachismos, which will surely surprise you to realize that some of them you use or have used without being aware of what supposes.

1. “Your husband helps you at home”

This expression, which is still widely used today, is used to refer that the husband is a good man since he has the consideration to help you with the housework. But really this statement is still a micro-machismo, since it is assuming that you, Due to the fact of being a woman, you must take care of the housework, a function that does not belong to the man.

We will consider it sexist and against equality, given that the house belongs to both of them and as such both of them should take care of it equally. In addition, there are currently many women who work outside the home and as such spend the same time outside the home as men.

2. Give the dinner bill to the man

This action, which also seems harmless and is normalized, hides behind an inequality. This behavior is considered micromachismo since, whoever delivers the bill is assuming that the man is the one has the money and with this he is also indicating that he is the one who works and provides economic support to the relationship. It may not be our intention, but we are expressing that we understand that women have lower purchasing power.

3. Serve the beer to the man and the water to the woman

In the field of restoration we also observe another type of micromachismo when the waiter, if he does not agrees or does not know who ordered what, will serve the alcoholic beverage to the man and the soda or water to the woman. It may even be that if they have ordered coffee and infusion, the first one will serve it to the man and the second to the woman. Tastes or preferences that are not really linked to sex are taken for granted.

4. Giving greater importance to the sexual pleasure of men than that of women

Another type of discrimination that we observe is linked to sexual relations. It is understood or assumed that men in all sexual relationships must reach orgasm and be satisfied, while women are not given the same consideration. We see how this thought is not only in the male sex but even in women themselves Many times they have resigned themselves and have accepted an unsatisfactory sexual life, considering it as something normal. Both sexes have the same capacities to obtain pleasure and therefore both should be able to enjoy it in the same way.

5. View women as less sexual

Another characteristic thought linked to sexual relations is to affirm that they are not as sexual as men, even criticizing when a woman expresses her sexual desire. In other words, this taboo, which already involves talking about sex, is intensified if you are a woman.

We must bear in mind that this belief only makes the situation worse, since if women really do not like or are not attracted for sexual relations would mean that they only perform them to please the man, placing women again subordinate to sex male. As with other factors, sexual appetite will vary depending on the subject, the moment... and not because of the sex of each one.

6. Ignore women in the fields related to cars

Another situation where we see that women go into the background and do not receive the same treatment as men, is the areas related to the car. For example, in workshops, dealerships or even gas stations, we will see that, in the presence of both men and women, the worker will refer to and focus his attention on the man.

With this type of behavior we are considering and assuming that the person who drives, who owns the car or who is interested in buying a new one is the man. When actually both sexes drive, they may both know about cars or be interested in buying a new one.

7. “What a good father your husband is, he watches over the children and helps you with them”

In the same way that it happens when it is believed that a man is good because he helps us at home, the same thing happens with children. It is believed that if the man is involved in the education of his children and participates in their upbringing just as the woman does, it is because he is a good father and we are lucky that he helps us in this way.

But the reality is that the children belong to the mother as well as to the father, both must play the role of educators and raise the children, therefore doing so has no additional merit or in case of having it, since it is a complex task, the two sexes should be considered in the same way.

8. "You cry like a girl"

Linked to the expression "You cry like a girl" there is also "Boys don't cry". In these expressions there are different misconceptions, first, and related to machismo, it is being understood that the female sex is weaker than the male. This thought not only affects women, it also affects men since they will be criticized or it will be frowned upon if they carry out conduct that theoretically does not belong to them.

In this case, they are taking away the possibility of expressing themselves and letting off steam. On the other hand, crying is also being considered as something bad or as a behavior that makes us weak, when crying is not a bad thing, it is an expression of our emotions and therefore something that can show both sexes.

9. Pay less at the club for being a woman

This behavior may seem to favor women, but really the message that is is transmitting is that women are the lure for men to come, its function is to attract men to nightclubs. We could also consider micro-machismo when clubs are less strict with women, that is In other words, they control their age less to be able to enter or their wardrobe, they make it easier for you to to access.

10. Difference between uniforms with skirt for women and pants for men

Another common micromachismo that we observe in both the school and work contexts is to differentiate the uniform into: skirt for women and pants for men. We are granting a piece of clothing according to sex, that is, we are delimiting its use. In the same way, we see how in general women can wear pants but it is not well seen that men wear a skirt since it is defined as a feminine and more “sexy” piece of clothing, which is only typical of the woman.

11. "The Bad Man" and "The Good Woman"

This distinction is very common to see in movies, series or books, where the story tells how "the bad boy" and "the good girl" end up together. We see how being "the bad guy" is not considered negative, but quite the opposite, he will be the protagonist of the film, the strongest, the rebel, who does not follow the rules, the most popular… Instead, the role of the perfect girl will be played by a good girl who studies, who follows all the rules, who does nothing bad. We also observe these differences in the advertising context where the figures they sell are "the bad man" "the bad guy" and "the good woman".

12. Ask the woman when she will be her mother

Another micromachismo consists of only asking the woman when she is going to be a mother and not asking the men, since we are assuming that women should always want to be mothers. In addition, sometimes this question can also go with second ones, since rather than asking it is expressed as criticism for not having had them yet.

13. Ask the woman if she already has a boyfriend

By asking these types of questions, apart from assuming that she likes boys, we are implying that he needs a man to be happy, to be able to live well, to be a mother or to buy a living place. There is still a tendency to conceive as a failure or as something negative that a woman does not get a husband, she is a "spinster". On the other hand, the single man defines himself as someone free, that he gets all the women he wants and that it is his decision not to commit.

14. Differentiation of toys according to sex

Another difference that we observe between the female and male sex is the different toys that are bought for each one. There is a tendency to give children cars, construction games, in short, more action toys and kitchen girls, dolls, games to do hair or makeup, toys more related to care and self care. Thus we are assuming the preferences of each subject according to her sex, when it would be better to let the child choose what he likes

15. It is not well seen that, in a couple, the woman earns more money than the man

This thought that affirms that man should have a higher salary and contributing more money to the home than women, is discriminatory for the female sex, since it is understood that contributing money to the home is a show of power and as such it cannot be she who does it. On the other hand, the man is also being given more pressure to earn more money and be able to be "the man of the house".