COWAP: Beauty and Gender: A Psychoanalytic Perspective
Session 3: Changing Notions of Beauty: The Importance of Culture and Technology: “Whose Face is it Anyway? “Beauty
in the Age of High Technology”

Speakers: Rhonda Garelick, Margarita Cereijido, and Atsumi Minamisawa:

Saturday, July 25, 2026
11:00 am – 12:30 pm EST
Via Zoom
1.5 CME/CE per session · 4.5 CME/CE total · Captions in all languages

This session explores, from a psychoanalytic perspective, how throughout history beauty ideals have been shaped by—and in
turn reinforce—notions of gender. The session highlights the role of the cultural values and technologies available at different
moments.

From prehistoric Venus figures emphasizing fertility, to the classical pursuit of youth, symmetry, and perfection, to
contemporary beauty increasingly mediated by digital culture, beauty ideals have continually shifted, reflecting the values of
their times.

Today, technologies—including digital platforms, cosmetic procedures, and appetite-suppressing drugs— promote beauty
ideals that often involve the inhibition of desire. We will explore how these forces may both enable and constrain women’s
multiple desires. We will also reflect on the subjective nature of gender. Rhonda Garelick, our main speaker, will talk about
“Whose Face is it Anyway?” Beauty in the Age of High Technology.”

Atsumi Minamisawa will talk about Mori, A Unique Visual Communication among Japanese adolescents.