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Women in the Mexican‐American community: Religion, culture, and reproductive attitudes and experiences
Author(s) -
Amaro Hortensia
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6629(198801)16:1<6::aid-jcop2290160104>3.0.co;2-1
Subject(s) - religiosity , acculturation , socioeconomic status , abortion , immigration , human sexuality , fertility , national survey of family growth , psychology , gender studies , pregnancy , demography , social psychology , sociology , family planning , population , political science , research methodology , biology , law , genetics
The goals of this study were (a) to provide descriptive information on the reproductive attitudes and behavior of Mexican‐American women and (b) to investigate the relationship of socioeconomic status, acculturation, and religiosity with these attitudes and experiences. Data were obtained in personal interviews with 137 Mexican‐American women visiting a community health center. Women were asked questions about religion, motherhood and pregnancy, sexuality, and unwanted pregnancy and abortion. The results indicate a great heterogeneity, even among relatively low‐income and unacculturated Mexican‐American women, in attitudes and experiences. Socioeconomic status, degree of religiosity, and degree of acculturation were associated with women's reproductive attitudes. Overall, the results contradict common stereotypes that present Mexican‐American women as dominated by Catholic doctrine, passive in fertility decisions, and desirous of large families.