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362 THE ISA HANDBOOK IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGY

process itself, But among the main distinc- both samples, and we also observe several
tive notions common to both countries and to instances of gender-specific terms. This phe-
both genders, the Catholic Church and ‘the nomenon is explained by the fact that it is the
poor’ stand out. The social and political women in the samples who introduce a dis-
importance of the Catholic Church in Central tinctive vocabulary in their discourse. It is
America, as well as the ideological message not necessarily a ‘women’s discourse’ or a
of the Theology of Liberation, obviously ‘discourse on women’, as the focus is gener-
explains these results in part (Cleary and ally set on issues that affect men, women,
Steigenga, 2004). But it can also be seen as and their families:
another expression of the mounting loss of ... we believe that with our help men and women
confidence in the political institutions, some- can attain other levels of organization, and other
times even including the leftist parties and economic levels, and that they can have solidarity
the labour unions. The connection between among themselves, and that they can have a
better life, by improving their way of thinking,
the church and the poor is seen as a funda-
their consciousness (Case H6. Female leader in a
mental social bond. labor union in Honduras).
I consider that the church also has a leadership ...
speaking on behalf of the poor ... but perhaps Some terms, such as ‘children’ or ‘home’,
mostly at a spiritual level ... the church often are traditionally linked to the experience of
captures the message of the majority of the poor women. But other correlations are less easily
through the closeness it has with them (Case S14. explained. For example, Table 24.6 shows that
Female member of a municipal council in
El Salvador). the words ‘rights’, ‘spaces’, and ‘organization’
are used significantly more by women than
... the Church is for us, at least in this region, our
saviour, not only for our sins but also for the men in our samples. A more ‘subjective’enun-
assaults that ... are carried out against us; she ciation also seems to characterize women’s
raises her voice on our behalf, when they see that discourse (i.e., the more frequent use of the
an injustice is being committed ... against us (Case first person singular pronoun in their
H8. Female member of a local development organ- responses). Although we cannot generalize at
ization in Honduras).
this exploratory stage, it appears that women
For the most part, this bond is described in contribute a different vocabulary and, more
terms of local politics, everyday life, and fundamentally, a somewhat different represen-
community issues. In this context, the ideas tation of citizenship that increasingly perme-
of cooperation and group solidarity are ates the activists’ discourse. In a study of
prevalent. We have seen so far that the women’s participation in past revolutionary
respondents’ discourse tends to be structured movements in Latin America, Julie D. Shayne
around notions, such as health, education, showed that traditional notions of femininity
social services, wages, workplace conditions, simultaneously enhanced and limited the value
and (pragmatic) change. The churches of their contribution (Shayne, 2004: 160). It is
(mostly Catholic, but also Protestant) are seen not yet clear if this will also be the case with
as key elements in a quest for social justice. contemporary social movements, but our data
The answers to the fifth question (‘What is seems to support the hypothesis that women’s
your role in the movement?’) further participation has also made inroads into citizen
illustrate this focus on community work, mobilization at the discursive level.
as opposed to a more militant stance.
Table 24.5 shows that in both countries this
means speaking of ‘struggles’, but also of
collective work, organization, and learning. CONCLUDING REMARKS
Interestingly, it is in the answers to this ques-
tion that the language becomes feminized. We have suggested in this chapter that cur-
The most distinctive notion is ‘women’ in rent forms of mobilization in Latin America