June 11, 2012
In Images of Relationship, Carol Gilligan (1982) calls upon two
opposite relational perspectives, the ethic of justice and the ethic of care to
provide a lens through which she examines the moral basis for decision-making by
two 6th grade students. At
the risk of oversimplifying, the ethic of justice is presented as an impersonal
but logical perspective utilized by the male student to resolve a hypothetical
moral dilemma while the ethic of care is presented as the perspective utilized
by the female student, which relies upon the context of the situation, the
relationships that connect the parties and
the communication that connects them
together.
In my work as a community arts practitioner, I have embraced
the ethics of care perspective because I have witnessed the power of
relationships and interpersonal connections that motivate and sustain
individuals to dedicate themselves to issues, causes and projects that are
important to them. I believe that people
can accomplish amazing things while overcoming formidable obstacles because of
the support they derive from their relationships and connections with others. Problems are resolved through unselfish
actions and by individuals taking ownership of the problem. A case in point.
Several years ago, when Cornerstone Performing Arts Center was faced with fiscal
uncertainty due to low attendance at our performance events, we launched a successful
“Pay What You Can” program, which accomplished two goals: it made our
performances accessible to anyone who wanted to attend and it resulted in increased
revenue from those who had the means to give more. “Pay What You Can” is an expression of the
ethics of care perspective because it leveled the playing field by providing
access to every community member; no one was left out. However, it also sent the message to the
entire community that Cornerstone recognized that everyone’s situation is
different and by doing so, it valued the uniqueness among city residents. One can argue that the process of
valuing the community’s collective uniqueness embraced the perspective of the
ethics of justice, which no doubt appealed to many of our audience members.
Hi Pete!
ReplyDeleteYes I can see what you mean about the "pay what you can" policy reflecting an ethic of care perspective. And I agree that relationships and the sense of contributing to a common vision can result in amazing accomplishments. I could see this in my own experience in developing the community-based art program in the Arlington public schools. This shift from working alone to working with many many volunteers, artists, artisans,architects, town planners, etc. changed a program that was mediocre at best to one that was exciting and dynamic for everyone, especially for the children. It is truly astonishing what can be done when people have a common vision. I'm amazed at your accomplishments at establishing two community arts organizations. You changed the lives of many people.
Hi Wendy, I just saw your comment today when I was on my blog. It sounds like you have experienced similar relationship-based arts- making in the Arlington public schools and the dynamic changes that resulted. Well done!
DeleteI really like that you said you identified with the ethic of care; it is even neater to see that you posted this before we gave our in-class presentations, because I can see so clearly how the ethic of care (and relationships between people) really have powered so much of where your community arts organizations have come to. And you illustrated the ideas of personal connections so well with the red yarn on your presentations boards!
ReplyDeleteThanks Alicia, it's funny, buty that red yarn on my posters that you refer to, has become sort of a vibrant metaphor for me. It represents the tenuous, bold, empathetic connections we as artists make with each other, our audiences and our viewers etc
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