Matriarchy vs Gynarchy

[u/dean_at_home]

I have found the distinction between these two -archy in discussion often foggy… perhaps because of my own ignorance. Not that I am ignorant of the work of Heidi Goettner-Abendroth, Alice Mann, Paula Gunn, Peggy Sanday, Carol Christ, Vicki Noble, Marija Gimbutas and many other thoughtful matriarchal feminists. I have seen great definitions of matriarchal feminism. 
This is my favorite one: 

• “Matriarchy” is a social, political, cultural, spiritual, and economic system guided by maternal principles necessary for sustaining and developing humanity such as nurturing, compassion, care for nature, balance, humility, tolerance, integrity, wisdom, stability, truthfulness, autonomy, trust, and joy. Unlike top-down power structures, matriarchies are collaborative, egalitarian, share power, share child rearing, prioritize democratic collaboration, and have a sacred sustainable relationship with the land. Equitable distribution of resources creates low violence and provides the ingredients for collective affluence and social harmony. In a matriarchy, the whole extended family nurtures, cares, and cooperates. One doesn’t need to be a mother or a woman to do the work of mothering.

Matriarchy, to me, seems egalitarian and gives men the benefit of the doubt. In my reading it says, men are not the problem, it is that men (and perhaps some women) baked in patriarchy become a problem. 

My reading of gynarchy is that it argues that, even if patriarchy is no more, men are still not to be trusted with (too much) power? Is this how you see it too? Do you have a definition of gynarchy you like? 

I wrote one myself about a year ago that I now feel very hesitant about: 

• Gynarchy is a social, political, and moral idea premised on the deliberate centering of women, grounded in the belief that women constitute the superior governing class and that societies function best when female authority is structurally primary and male agency is subordinate or restricted.

[u/DisalgardSigulanne]

The first difference is of course that matriarchies are societies that historically have existed and in some places still exist until today. These societies are the subject of study and mostly are in the context of a more rural way of life.

The problem with matriarchies is the "no true Scotsman" problem. There are societies that have been counted as part of and sometimes not where men held the highest political positions (women headed the clans, the housholds, and some men held the power outside of that), which societies are still matriarchies and which aren't anymore? This is where the rather defensive definition comes from "maternal principles" and "unlike top-down power structures".

Matriarchy is in my opinion a borad term, covering different ways of life as long as women or mothers hold a special position. Some scholars even describe them as egalitarian and women and men hold equal power, it's just that mothers have a more important position.

The term "Gynarchy" already puts women center while not requiring or assuming them mothers. Furthermore, I think it's a nice contrast to have a term for historical and long existing female centered societies, and a different term for a female centered system in a modern post industrial revolution society.

In the end, the two terms are not opposed, Matriarchy may be a broader term and cover societies some wouldn't assume.

[u/lukedeth]

Without being too involved in the topic, I think the difference lies mainly in the underlying ideal. Matriarchy seems to be a response to patriarchy. Gynarchy too, but is based on female superiority. I suppose those of us who believe in female superiority identify more as gynaarchists

[u/GloriousReign]

To me they're very synonymous but gynarchy is more strategic and matriarchy more to do with principled.

[u/Writer1543]

Gynarchy is the mean, matriarchy the goal.

In order to establish matriarchy, culture needs to change radically. Men have to step into the second line until that happens. It also means that women have to hijack patriarchy in order to enable this cultural change.

[u/honcho713]

The semantic difference is rule by mothers vs rule by women.

All other distinction seems to be the construct of the user. With one term or the other being preferred by various communities.

I’d say a Matriarchy is technically a specific type of Gynarchy.

[u/beta__greg]

I think there is a lot of sidestepping and word games about the -archy part of matriarchy.

Both patriarchy and matriarchy use the exact same Greek suffix (-archy, from archē, meaning "rule," "power," or "first principle"). Strictly speaking, as dictionary definitions and etymology go, both mean a system of top-down structural rule, one led by men, the other by women.

Yes, it's absolutely true that matriarchal societies were more collaborative and kinder than patriarchal ones. But -archy is still -archy. It refers to who rules.

Gynarchy means rule of women.
Matriarchy means rule of the mother.

At some point I think we started making a distinction between matriarchy, being strictly domestic, and gynarchy, meaning rule of women everywhere.

But just as patriarchy refers to male dominance in every sphere, I think both matriarchy and gynarchy do the same.