Familia y retórica revolucionaria, apuntes en torno a las reformas al Código Civil en México, 1953-1954

Abstract

This article focuses on legislative discussions about the 1953 presidential bill to reform the Mexican Civil Code of the Federal District and Territories (Código Civil para el Distrito y Territorios Federales) in 1953. The reform proposed to align the code's terms with the recently approved women's political rights. My analysis points out the controversy that emerged from the amendments to Article 372, which established a married women's right to legally recognize children born out of wedlock without the husband's authorization. Tensions between political revolutionary discourse, which emphasized social justice and equality, and strict cultural norms about feminine sexuality, permeated the discussion.

Keywords

• gender
• family
• civil code
• women's rights
• sexual limits
• revolutionary rhetoric