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Historian Margareth Rago discusses the changing role of women in contemporary society. Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary tells the story of Emma Bovary, a woman who wanted a meaningful life. She was not alone: in the second half of the 19th century, men were also bored with the regimented life of bourgeois society, but they could go out, travel and study. That is why the issue of gender is fundamental in the work. The professor explains that inequality in relationships was supported by the medical knowledge of the time. The figure of the “queen of the home”, which the bourgeoisie defended within the nuclear family model, was created at this time. These ideas would only change years later, with the strengthening of the feminist movement. The story of Madame Bovary is built in this context. Nowadays, the world is changing at a high speed, and the consequence is the loss of the idea of time and time for reflection. Women, the speaker stated, have become emancipated, but male violence is still common. Even so, she said, it is necessary to recognize that men have changed. According to her, society today no longer confines women to the home, but to roles and identities. Frightened by the changes, individuals seek protection in an idea of normativity, which explains the rise of groups of young conservatives in the public debate. Program aired on 01/05/2016