Abstract

This paper studies family relationships on the metropolitan railways of Buenos Aires from the point of view of women workers in the context of modernization and gender policies. The aim is to analyse the notions of family and individual pride and male honor, in order to show the ways the women mobilize and redefine an identity and moral repertoire, the''great railway family''. Analysing their search for a legitimate position in a historically masculine activity, I assert that the''railway blood'' (ties between relatives) is often actively mobilized, but not in every situation because of its limitations and problematic dimensions which demonstrates the need to refine its effectiveness. The methodology I employed is based on the content analysis of in-depth interviews and observation from a micro-sociological perspective, adopting an interpretative approach.

Keywords Family; women; repertoires; railway transport; female worker