Shared Memories, Common Vision: Generations, Sociopolitical Consciousness and Resistance among Cuban Women

Much has been written about modern Cuba's problems, but little about what it means to be part of a society that believes in “the Revolution” and the possibility of a new order. The challenge is not only to understand why some Cubans do not believe but to also recognize the commitment of those who do. Based on how they identify key events in Cuban history, we focus on two distinct generations of Cuban women: an older “Revolution” generation and a younger “Special Period” generation. Analyzing transcripts from in‐depth focus group conversations and face‐to‐face interviews, we argue that depending on their historical location, Cuban women differ both within and between generations in terms of their sociopolitical world views, especially in how they conceptualize their place in the Revolution and in their strategies of resistance throughout Cuba's current economic crisis, a period known by Cubans as the Special Period. Their words describe in detail what their beliefs mean to them, and how they live them.