Gender represent ations in the construction of university student ’s ident ity in Bogota

Abstract

From the outlook of qualitative research, the present study proposes to establish the gender representations in the construction of identity of a group of 18 men and women currently following undergraduate studies at Universities la Salle, El Bosque, Distrital Francisco José de Caldas –Bogotá–. A semi-structured interview was used to inquire about self concept, the differences and relations between the sexes, their images of masculine and feminine. By means of content analysis, the possible variations in the identity representations were explored, along with its reiterations and emphasis. The findings show that the young people participating in the research, although they value the change and the novelty of being men and woman, at the same time recognize themselves in a traditional masculinity based on the power, social superiority and control over woman and in a femininity characterized by the being for others and the subjection to the male, which doesn’t prevent the questioning of what has been previously learned. The young women reveal themselves as the ones producing the main changes while their male partners feel in general more satisfied with themselves and their male prerogatives, however feeling somewhat restless by the change in women. Friendship and partnership fundamentally organize their relationships in the university and provide them with a sense of equality that is in profound contrast with their more traditional gender representations.