Reconciliation experiences: analysing gender relations in the current economic crisis

Abstract

Reconciliation experiences: analysing gender relations in the current economic crisis

In this paper, we analyse gender roles in family relations between women and men during the current economic crisis, using the discourses of reconciliation practices of 22 people, collected through four focus groups that were conducted in rural districts of Viana do Castelo. We found that women develop and employ several strategies to organise their daily routine, in order to reconcile professional and family life, without relying on their husbands’ support, even when they are unemployed. We concluded that shared expectations that hold women alone responsible for family care preclude the awareness of gender inequality and its related social claim.