A Gynecentric Aesthetic Summary

In A Gynecentric Aesthetic, written by Renee Cox Lorraine, she discusses multiple cultures where men and women are treated equally within society. She describes integration as the inclusion of both sexes in dances, ceremonies, and the cycle of initiation-marriage-death and return; hence the idea that an aspect of these societies is that they are egalitarian. However, this depiction of integration is also seen as gynecentric, the idea that women are the center of thoughts and activities, due to the fact that various forms of art have originated in societies where women hold a high social power. In her work, she refers to Gilligan’s idea that women’s moral reasoning is based on community rather than the individual, promoting the idea of a care
moral perspective. This helps to support Lorraine’s portrayal of integration because the main aspect of integration is the inclusion of everybody in the community and maintaining strong relationships. The care perspective supports the a gynecentric aesthetic due to the fact that integration and care are both grounded in idea that the self and other are interdependent; showing that they have the same base ideology and help to prove the other true.