Representaciones socio-culturales de la maternidad en mujeres shuar

Abstract

The present investigation with a qualitative approach deals with the socio-cultural representations of motherhood present in a group of women belonging to the Shuar communities of the Sucúa, Morona and Gualaquiza cantons of the province of Morona Santiago. In this context, the purpose of this work was to respond to the lack of regional studies on the problems related to representations on female sexuality and indigenous motherhood, hence the objective was to analyze the socio-cultural representations of sexuality feminine linked to the conception of motherhood that the Shuar women have. The field research was conducted during the months of April and May of 2018. A qualitative research approach was applied and a sample of 13 Shuar women was employed, to whom semi-structured interviews were applied. The study was concluded with the identification of representations around sexuality that denote a clear incidence of sexist discourse in its configuration. Motherhood, in turn, is reduced to the execution of home activities, which are conceived as exclusive functions of the Shuar woman. Finally, it was suggested that future plans of intervention in the area of sexual and reproductive rights should be propped up to become defense tools against machismo still enclosed within the Shuar communities to which the participants belong and involve the men of their own communities in such activities.