This paper presents the results of a research carried out in Rio de Janeiro. It discusses the changes in the paths of lives of middle-class women in the last decades. A group of ten women belonging to two generations was interviewed regarding their life projects. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. Discourse analysis was performed on the resulting texts. The study has indicated that the growing individualism in the contemporary social life is altering the life projects of individuals. Today, the women's paths of life are less standardized; work, profession and financial independence are issues that have gained prominence in their projects. In this context, the female identity is less influenced by traditional family roles.
Women; paths of life; identity