Unwed mothers and household reputation in a Spanish Galician community

In the coastal Galician community of Ezaro, villagers evaluate households headed by unwed mothers in apparently contradictory ways. This article seeks to explain that phenomenon by examining villagers' complex and flexible concepts of the household and of gender roles. While the high incidence of illegitimacy in coastal Galicia is distinctive, this case points out the general importance of considering alternative household ideals and, moreover, illustrates the fact that, in southern Europe at least, female reputation is not entirely dependent on women's relational ties with men. [household, gender, illegitimacy, Spain, cultural complexity]