ABSTRACT
In all human societies masculine and feminine identities are defined in opposition to each other, a fact that has transmuted the imposed prescription for women to take care of reproductive tasks into a prohibition for men to do so. As a way of investigating the phenomenon of attitudinal change in men and women in terms of family responsibilities, a qualitative study was initiated in March 1997 based on 20 in-depth interviews in the urban sector of Santiago (Chile). This study analyses the results in terms of men’s potential for change, looking at the variables that have a clearer impact on the development of more equitable practices and the formation of an egalitarian self.
