Gender, kinship and processes of social reproduction in the Spanish

Abstract

This article suggests identifying and rendering visible –from a gender perspective– the lives of the men and women that belonged to families with life itineraries almost entirely defined by Spanish Navy’s rules, purposes and dynamics. The study, based on documentation filed at the Navy’s General Catalogue "Álvaro de Bazán" and the Catalogue of the Navy’s Museum in Madrid, addresses the family structure of Navy members from the viewpoint of a woman who lived in the island of León-San Fernando (Cádiz) between 1776 and 1837. Information obtained reflects her central role in the processes of biological and social reproduction, but also as a highly influential military recruiter for the Navy making use of her position as daughter, wife, sister, mother, grandmother, niece, aunt and cousin of Spanish Navy officers. The genealogical network compiled can be considered socially relevant in itself, revealing novel aspects of the social history of this military institution.