Are Modern Latina Women STILL Interested in Being Traditional Wives?

In certain cultures, there are expectations that are ascribed to people not because of their character, but because of their genders. Men are expected to act a certain way and women are expected to act in a different way.

Men are supposed to be providers and protectors, they’re supposed to bring home to bacon. Women are supposed to be caretakers and homemakers, they’re supposed to cook that bacon and serve it with eggs and toast.

But there are a lot of parts of the world, particularly in highly developed countries, where that traditional gender dichotomy has fallen by the wayside. Women go out into the world and work jobs to provide for their families. Men keep house and take care of kids. Men and women do an equal amount of both and then there are the relationships where there are no men and no women.

There are so many different permutations of how two people can coexist in a committed relationship that what was once accepted as the norm is no longer the norm and may even be seen as an outlier.

But there are a lot of people who want that outlier, they want the kind of relationship that they grew up with. Well, a lot of those people might find themselves having good luck with Latina women when it comes to getting that kind of relationship.

There are some cultural factors in many Latin American countries that make having a traditional marriage a little more feasible than they otherwise would be for a lot of guys.

Patriarchal family structure

One of the most enduring concepts in a traditional family structure is the man sitting at the head of the table with his family on either side of him. Sometimes his wife will be at the opposite end across from him and other times, she’ll be directly at his side. The important thing is that the man is at the head of the table because he’s the one putting food on it.

That’s the structure in a lot of Latin American countries. The father is the head of the family. He’s the one whose word carries the most weight. So any girl that grows up in that culture is more likely to be receptive to having a similar structure in her own romantic relationship. So she’ll be more open to deferring to her husband.

A family orientation

There’s a growing trend for couples to either put off getting married or getting married but put off having children. Some people are aware of the environmental cost of raising a child. Sometimes they’re wary of the monetary cost. Other times, couples simply don’t feel like they need to have children in order to be complete families.

But that’s not the case with a lot of Latin American cultures. Thanks to a strong Catholic tradition present in the region, people aren’t encouraged to use contraception but they are encouraged to see having children as the ultimate endgame of marriage. So any guy that’s looking to start a traditional family as soon as possible will find that Latin America is rife with opportunities.

Not to mention that as soon as there are children in the picture, many women are conditioned to put those children first, with many women giving up their careers to make sure that the kids are taken care of. A guy who wants that kind of structure for his family will find that attitude appealing to a partner.

Marriage is high encouraged

In a lot of countries in Latin America the average age of a woman when she gets married is under 25 — countries like Peru (23.5) and Colombia (22.3). This is because women are highly encouraged to get married. That’s noticeably younger than the United States (28) or Canada (29.6).

Part of this is the Catholic tradition. Marriage is seen as a highly desirable and sacred institution. As a result, casual dating is discouraged so people tend to settle down at a much younger age.

Chivalry is alive and well

There are certain traits that men are expected to embody. They’re supposed to be tough and strong. But that’s not all they’re supposed to be. They’re also supposed to be gentlemen. They’re supposed to be chivalrous.

In a lot of places, chivalry’s dead. It’s not really the norm. But any man who fancies himself some kind of modern-day knight in shining armor will find his chivalrous overtures may be well-received in Latin America.

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In a lot of developed countries, the concept of going Dutch has — where both people split the bill — gained popularity. Women work and earn their own money and sometimes they earn more money than their male partners. Some women also just want to treat their partners because they love them. There are also relationships where traditional gender roles do not apply. So going Dutch has gained quite a bit of steam.

But there are men who will balk at the idea of going Dutch. To them, the idea of their date reaching for her wallet is unacceptable. To them, paying for things is a point of pride.

Some women in a developed country might not like that idea. They make their own money and they don’t want to feel like they’re being paid for or bought off. But there are countries wherein man paying is still the undisputed norm.

A guy who is traditionally minded may find that his mindset is more appreciated in Latin America because men are supposed to pay for things anyway.

Relationships can come in many forms. Some people want a relationship that’s more modern, one wherein both partners have an equal share of power. There’s no head of the family, it’s two people working together to make things work.

But there are people who want something that can be seen as a throwback to the halcyon days of their youth. There are a lot of ways to have a relationship and there isn’t really a right way. Just the way that’s right for you.