Domesticity and gender identities in Casa & Jardim magazine (1950s and 60s)

Abstract

In this paper, starting from the entwinement between gender identity models and the domesticity discourse present in the brazilian popular magazine Casa & Jardim, I discuss the role of representations in the constitution of human subjectivities. Representations influence us as discursive practices by the establishment of norms, standards, and values, which mediate our understanding of the world and guide our conduct within the social milieu. The representations of femininity in Casa & Jardim, disguised as reflections of a supposed feminine "nature", are indeed patterns of subjectivities prescribed by its authors and editors to their women readers.

Domesticity; Gender Relations; Identities; Subjectivities; Casa & Jardim