Que no te eduque la Rosa de Guadalupe! A textual analysis of gender and stereotypes in Mexican telenovelas

Gender-based discrimination and gender-based violence prevail in cultures where sexism and violence are usual. According to feminist organizations our best solution is education from an early age. However, in places where means of formal education are scarce, we may turn to alternative solutions such as television. Television has been examined in multiple studies for its role in the formation of gender, and other type of stereotypes. But also it has been considered a useful tool in challenging traditional notions about gender and in helping to promote social change. For this reason, a textual analysis was conducted on La Rosa de Guadalupe, a telenovela that claims to be educational, in order to analyze gender-role representations in Mexican media and evaluate if they either challenged or reinforced traditional notions about gender, which have proven to be detrimental in the advancement and empowerment of women in Mexican society. Key words: women, telenovelas, education, culture