Growing Up Sexually

GITANO (Spain)

Index → Europe → Spain → Gitano (Spanish Gypsies)

Also: Olivos (Andalusian Pueblo)

Mulchay[1] characterises Gitano socialisation as promoting “a classic pattern of machismo” (p139). Among the Gitano, “[…] the sexual identity of children receives much attention in language and gesture, and is treated in a very joyful and playful manner. Praises or displays of affection to children very often involve references to their genitals. Adults- or older children- often address children through the words that define the genitals, and show their affection by rubbing or grabbing their sexual areas, and kissing or biting them there” (Blasco, 1994:p54)[2]. The boys’ masculinity is stressed more than the girls’ femininity: “[…] mothers love making their male babies’ penises become erect, photos of boys aged two or three smoking sigarettes, or else naked, hung on the walls of every gitano house; and from that same age boys are very much encouraged to be proud of their genitals”. Marriageability starts at puberty. Girls at menarche become “mozas”, synonymous to “virgins”; anatomical indicators would betray her being “open” (deflowered), and coitarche equals the end of mozedad. There is an obvious double standard for premarital sex.

Thus, “As well as conveying to the children a particular evaluation of the categories ‘woman’ and ‘man’ or niño (boy) and niña (girl), their attitudes encourage them to be proud of their genitals – and to develop a self-identity in which the genitals explicitly occupy a central place” (1999:p71)[3].

“Affection to children up to the age of five or six is shown by rubbing or grabbing their genitals, or by kissing and biting them there, so that children come to strongly associate displays of affection with their genitals. On one occasion I went with Sara and her children to visit my family – who themselves live in Madrid – and I witnessed as my sister took Sara’s son David, who was then two years old, in her arms and praised him saying ‘how handsome you are!’. When he heard this, and to my sister’s astonishment, he got down from her lap, pulled down his trousers and said ‘yes, look’, pointing to his penis and expecting further praise. Although both boys’ and girls’ genitals are treated with fondness, the boys’ are particularly celebrated: mothers love playing with their young sons’ penises, photos of naked boys aged two or three are hung in the walls of most Gitano houses, and young boys are very much encouraged to be proud of their penises. The fact that boys are preferred and given preference over girls and the greater – and more joyful– attention that is given to their genitals is essential in the creation of these early masculinities and femininities and coherent with other practices that also contribute to the process” (ibid.).

Gay-y-Blasco (1997)[4]:

“From the moment of birth, adults emphasize and celebrate the child's genitals, particularly in the case of boys. As well as conveying to the children a particular evaluation of the categories 'woman' and 'man' or niýo (boy) and niýa (girl), their attitudes encourage them to be proud of their genitals -- and to develop a self-identity in which the genitals explicitly occupy a central place. The words that define the genitals -- pija (penis) and chocho (internal and external female genitalia) -- can be defined as 'neutral' in the sense that they do not carry inherently polite or rude connotations. They are used as loving terms of address to children and often become nicknames. They are also made to stand, in a metonymic way, for the male or female children -- thus, pregnant women are often asked whether they are carrying a chocho or a pija. Together with their points of reference, these are among the first words to be learned. Affection to children up to the age of five or six is shown by rubbing or grabbing their genitals, or by kissing and biting them there. Clara took her nephew David, who was then two years old, in her arms and praised him, saying 'how handsome you are!' On hearing this he got down from her lap, pulled down his clothes and said 'yes, look', pointing to his penis and expecting further praise.  Although both boys' and girls' genitals are treated with fondness, the boys' are particularly celebrated: mothers love playing with their young sons' penises, photos of naked boys aged two or three are hung in the walls of most Gitano houses, and young boys are very much encouraged to be proud of their penises. The fact that boys are preferred to, and given preference over, girls and the greater -- and more joyful -- attention given to their genitals are essential in the creation of these early masculinities and femininities and coherent with other practices that also contribute to the process:

David's parents and relatives consistently favoured him over his sister Nina. During my fieldwork, when he was two and she was six, she was very often made to give him her toys, or to leave her mother's lap when he wished to sit there. Many of the references made to David's masculinity served to advance his privileges as did the mention of Nina's femininity: because she was a moza (young woman) she had to 'give up' so that he, a boy, could 'have'. She fought and resented this, but could not deny the fact that he was a boy and she was a girl. She witnessed the adults around her displaying David's penis and, like them, she often praised it” ”.

Janssen, D. F., Growing Up Sexually. Volume I. World Reference Atlas. 0.2 ed. 2004. Berlin: Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology

Last revised: Sept 2004