DETERMINING THE BOUNDARIES OF VIRTUE - THE DISCOURSE OF RECOGIMIENTO AMONG WOMEN IN 17TH-CENTURY LIMA

This article explores the meanings of the concept of recogimiento, a v irtue related to honor and physical enclosure as it was expressed in t he marital litigation testimonies of women of all racial and class bac kgrounds in Lima between 1650 and 1700. Elite, humble, and nonwhite wo men alike claimed honor as part of their identity in ways that were di stinct from concepts of male honor and definitions of sexual purity. M arried women attempted to define the boundaries of virtue along broade r lines that included contributions to the household economy. In addit ion, women's self-definition of recogimiento included connotations of a sense of virtue and proper behavior in both private or household set tings and in the public sphere where they worked.