Social Representations about Being a Woman in Contemporary Society

This study analyzes the social representations that encompass the vision of being a woman in contemporary society, followed by reflections on what the female gender implies in social and cultural relations. Starting from the theory of social representations, we seek to understand how women understand the meaning of what “being a woman” implies in the environment in which they find themselves. This research was carried out using semi-structured interviews that were applied to 25 women of different age, socioeconomic, and social classifications, focusing on questions about what it means to be a woman for each of them and if they feel disadvantaged in some situation because they belong to this group. Results showed that two groups were formed, representing a duality most participants shared, with the characteristics of the traditional woman being highlighted on the one hand, and the warrior woman and the difficulties experienced in the daily life of a woman on the other in a society still governed by traditional notions of gender.

Keywords:
Social Representations; Women; Gender; Contemporaneity