Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2004

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Cruz-Taura, Graciella

Abstract

Archival documents have shown Spain's attempts at Christianizing the Aztecs and illustrated Spanish justifications for the destruction of traditional Aztec beliefs and gender roles. Analyzing these documents, it becomes apparent that female roles were transformed along the lines of Spanish and Christian ideologies of a proper woman. An examination of the initial nature of Aztec-Spanish relations, with a specific emphasis on the religiosity and mentalities of both the conquered and the conquerors, provides a direct correlation between transformation of native women's social status and initial contacts with European patriarchal customs. Focusing on the reciprocating system of duality existing between men and women in Aztec life and religion, Spain's persistence at adopting a patriarchal structure for all indigenous peoples, the andocentric mentality of Christianity, and the resilience of native women's roles in the post-Conquest era, this thesis illustrates the various factors contributing to the transformation and preservation of Aztec female roles.

Extent

229 p.

Comments

Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2004.|Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters

Identifier

FADT13173

Format

pdf

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