Emotional experiences and family kinship during the Covid-19 pandemic: A gender study

Objective: To analyze, from a gender perspective, the emotional experiences of university students and their family relationships during the pandemic. Methodology: A total of 18 postgraduate students from UNAM were interviewed virtually. Three moments were analyzed: emotional and family experiences during social confinement, the time to leave the health confinement and the "new normality". Results: The qualitative software Atlas.ti V22 was used, as well as the gender perspective as the unit of the discourse analysis. The confinement was experienced by women as stressful and anxious due to the excessive load of domestic work. Men presented depression and anger due to the change in routine and school activity. The emotions of uncertainty and fear were present in both genres. There was tiredness of routines in men and concern about reorganization of activities in women. The "new normality" represented responsibility and trust in men, and stress and worry in interpersonal relationships in women. Conclusions: The pandemic represented a change in school, work and social life, as well as new ways of relating to the family.