Between the ideal and the reality of modern Mexican women: the narrative construction of identity of twelve Mexican professionals facing work obstacles

Abstract

For many women, striving for professional success is the most effective way to achieve ideals of autonomy and self-determination, to free themselves from imposed heteropatriarcal identities, and, instead, identify themselves as more modern women. However, in countries like Mexico, the realities they face diversify the professional trajectories available for pursuing these ideals. This article aims to analyze the identity positioning of twelve Mexican women in narratives regarding professional obstacles, and to characterize the different tensions that emerge in their construction of more modern identities. The interviews were conducted following a multi-sited ethnography approach. The analysis was carried out based on the idealized cognitive model (ICM), the experienced relational model (ERM), force dynamics, and the positioning theory. From this analysis, it is worth noting that the interviewees have found ways to construct or validate their identities thanks to or despite their professions.