Theory Of Autonomy Research Articles

Contract Law and the Liberalism of Fear

Abstract Liberalism’s concern with human freedom seems related to contractual freedom and thus contract law. There are, however, many strands of liberal thought and which of them best justifies contract is a difficult question. In The Choice Theory of Contracts, Hanoch Dagan and Michael Heller offer a vision of contract based on autonomy. Drawing on the work of Joseph Raz, they argue that extending autonomy should be the law’s primary concern, which requires that we extend the range of contractual choices available. While there is much to admire in their work, I argue that autonomy as conceived by Dagan and Heller cannot justify contract law. First, there are reasons to doubt the coherence of autonomy as an ideal. Second, given the pluralism of liberal societies, which, for example, often include substantial numbers of religious believers who reject core assumptions of autonomy theory, it is doubtful that such a theory can legitimate contract law. A more modest version of liberalism concerned primarily with protection against cruelty and providing a modus vivendi in pluralistic societies is more tenable. Such a vision of liberalism yields a more modest vision of contract law. Rather than making it into another means of realizing the dream of a more autonomous self, it is enough that contract law facilitates commerce and the marketplace. Markets in turn can serve an important — albeit limited — role in sustaining the peaceful cooperation and coexistence toward which a more realistic liberalism should aim.

A Crossroads, not an Island: A Response to Hanoch Dagan

Hanoch Dagan critiques Radical Markets for insufficient attention to the value of autonomy. While most of his concrete disagreements result from miscommunications, he appears sympathetic to a theory of autonomy, which is more widespread and deserves response. Human agency is fundamentally social, and individuality is primarily constituted by the unique set of social connections and identities one adopts. In this sense, flourishing individuals are crossroads of different communities not self-sufficient islands. Beyond any welfarist benefits, a fundamental value of Radical Markets is that they aim to instantiate the social nature of identity and empower agency through diverse community.

A Crossroads, Not an Island: A Response to Hanoch Dagan

Hanoch Dagan critiques Radical Markets for insufficient attention to the value of autonomy. While most of his concrete disagreements result from miscommunications, he appears sympathetic to a theory of autonomy that is more widespread, and deserves response. Human agency is fundamentally social, and individuality is primarily constituted by the unique set of social connections and identities one adopts. In this sense, flourishing individuals are crossroads of different communities, not self-sufficient islands. Beyond any welfarist benefits, a fundamental value of Radical Markets is that they aim to instantiate the social nature of identity and empower agency through diverse community.

A Gender-based Investigation of the Perception of English Language Teachers at Saudi Universities Regarding the Factors Influencing Learner Autonomy

Learner autonomy has been a focus of attention in the realm of English Language Teaching (ELT) research nowadays and the study in hand is an attempt to investigate learner autonomy in theory and practice from the perspective of English language teachers. It aims to identify gender-based perceptions of English language teachers from a Saudi university regarding the role of the textbooks, study material, support of English language teachers, the students’ learning strategies, students’ motivation and self-evaluation in enhancing learner autonomy. This empirical survey has involved 30 male and 30 female (n=60) English language teachers from English language center of Taif University, Saudi Arabia to record their insights and views about their perceptions and prospects of these pedagogical constructs in their teaching practices. The participants of the study responded to a 35-point Likert-scale modified questionnaire to generate data. Independent-samples T-test has been run to calculate percentages of their responses as well as to identify any statistically significant gender-based differences. The results revealed that only six items out of the total 35 have shown significant gender-based differences in the perceptions of the participants of the survey. The findings have revealed that the participants of this study bear extremely positive attitudes towards the pedagogical significance of learner autonomy and have exhibited encouraging trends about the implementation of this construct in the classrooms. Recommendations have been forwarded based on the results of this survey.

A Gender-based Investigation of the Perception of English Language Teachers at Saudi Universities Regarding the Factors Influencing Learner Autonomy

Learner autonomy has been a focus of attention in the realm of English Language Teaching (ELT) research nowadays and the study in hand is an attempt to investigate learner autonomy in theory and practice from the perspective of English language teachers. It aims to identify gender-based perceptions of English language teachers from a Saudi university regarding the role of the textbooks, study material, support of English language teachers, the students’ learning strategies, students’ motivation and self-evaluation in enhancing learner autonomy. This empirical survey has involved 30 male and 30 female (n=60) English language teachers from English language center of Taif University, Saudi Arabia to record their insights and views about their perceptions and prospects of these pedagogical constructs in their teaching practices. The participants of the study responded to a 35-point Likert-scale modified questionnaire to generate data. Independent-samples T-test has been run to calculate percentages of their responses as well as to identify any statistically significant gender-based differences. The results revealed that only six items out of the total 35 have shown significant gender-based differences in the perceptions of the participants of the survey. The findings have revealed that the participants of this study bear extremely positive attitudes towards the pedagogical significance of learner autonomy and have exhibited encouraging trends about the implementation of this construct in the classrooms. Recommendations have been forwarded based on the results of this survey.

English as a foreign language learner autonomy in vocabulary development

Purpose An examination of the research literature suggests that no attempt has been made to examine learner autonomy development within female university-level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Given that English has become the world’s predominant lingua franca for academia, business, and politics, the purpose of this paper, therefore, is to fill this gap in the literature. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative case study that aims to explore learner autonomy in vocabulary development. Findings The results showed that teachers are cognizant of the concept of learner autonomy. However, they are not all certain of the benefits of autonomous vocabulary learning. This study reveals how six adult learners’ levels of autonomy are highly influenced by their teachers’ practices. This study draws out suggestions for English language teachers who promote learner autonomy theory and practice. It also offers specific guidance, models, and adapted learning approaches of how to promote autonomy inside the classroom. Research limitations/implications This study encountered several limitations. The first is time: the study took place over the course of two months in the Summer of 2016, when students were fully encumbered with schoolwork and social duties. The recruitment of participants during that time was a challenge. Some of the students who agreed to participate in the study were not fully engaged in the research. Additionally, the study faced difficulties with faculty commitment – one of the professors delayed the interview session multiple times and perceived some of the interview questions negatively. In addition, Dickinson’s (1993) characteristics of learner autonomy are largely related to the opportunities that are presented to the students by the teacher. It appears that Dickinson’s scale was meant to be used to identify students’ level of autonomy, particularly inside the classroom. However, because of some of the examples of activities pertaining to how they learned vocabulary outside the classroom, they were not related to classroom teaching. Also, the number of the participants is limited in this study. Practical implications A future study could be undertaken to measure and quantitatively analyze learners’ vocabulary development on a larger scale. Research could also be conducted using a pretest, an intervention, and a posttest to measure the effectiveness of learning vocabulary autonomously. In addition, other pedagogical approaches could be utilized to measure EFL students’ intrinsic motivation and autonomy, which play critical roles in learning. Allowing learners to self-select their preferred method of learning can help them to develop their vocabulary knowledge. The findings from this study reveal that learner autonomy plays a significant role in enhancing EFL students’ vocabulary development. Originality/value When students learn vocabulary autonomously, they are better able to source the lingua franca’s core pronunciation of a word and its spelling without the influence of the teacher’s cultural background. Given the magnitude of teachers’ workloads, they may lack the time for designing lessons that adequately meet the needs of diverse learners. Therefore, the practical way to ameliorate the problem of inadequate time is to provide them with methods (e.g. using strategies such as inquiry-based learning, problem-based learning, and project-based learning) that they can use to more readily foster learner autonomy.

Engaging older adults in discharge planning: case studies illuminating approaches adopted by family members that promote relational autonomy

Background: Discharge decisions have significant implications for older adults and their involved family members. Evidence of older adult and family members’ engagement in discharge decision-making, however, varies widely. Some recent work shows assumed associations between ageing, diminished participation in healthcare decision-making and increased reliance on family members. Other research suggests that family members adopt strategies to promote older adults’ participation in decision-making. Relational autonomy theory suggests that individuals have differing levels of autonomy and that individuals’ agency can be supported (or marginalized) by others.Purpose: Using three case studies, we examine traditional and relational conceptions of autonomy and explore how relational approaches could inform healthcare practice.Methods: Taking a critical feminist bioethics perspective, we present a secondary analysis of three microethnographic case studies focused on discharge planning with older adults in one Canadian inpatient rehabilitation setting. The data consist of observations of discharge planning family conferences and semi-structured interviews with older adults and family members.Results: Tensions between older adults’ wishes to return home and their diminished participation in discharge decisions, and family members’ assumption of a primary role in discharge decision-making and their wish for the older adult to move to a supported setting were apparent. To reconcile these tensions, the older adults’ family members in these cases employed strategies to promote older adults’ participation in decision-making that were consistent with relational autonomy theory.Conclusion and implications for practice: The analysis suggests that older adults’ participation in discharge decision-making processes could be better promoted through relational approaches.Implications for rehabilitation • Adopting an approach guided by relational autonomy might better enable patients to participate in decision-making than would an approach guided by traditional conceptions of autonomy. • Rehabilitation professionals could seek assistance from family members and guide them toward collaborative partnerships. • A range of strategies may be employed to customize relational approaches to enhance autonomy: • having several different conversations with patients to enable multiple chances to contribute knowledge and views; • involving family members or taking the time to explain information several different times and in diverse manners; • showing patients videos or photos of discharge locations; • exploring a breadth of potential discharge options; • accompanying patients to visit different options in person; and • getting patients in touch with individuals who have made similar choices. • It is recognized that taking a relational approach might be time-consuming and that practice contexts may not be conducive to such practice.

Conflicts Between State and Business in the Nationalization of PT. Inalum

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State-authorizing citizenship: the narrow field of civic engagement in the liberal age

Liberal citizens are held ethically accountable not only for their own acts and behaviors, but also those of their state. Reciprocally, a proper liberal subject is one that metonymizes with the state, merging their fates and moral worth, and taking personal responsibility for the state’s actions. I claim that as a result, the liberal subject is not only self-authorizing according to liberal theories of moral autonomy, but also state-authorizing. I demonstrate the above claims through a consideration of changing activist practices among the Israeli political left. I show that the hegemonic model of civic engagement is oriented towards the state and state policy as the privileged and naturalized site of ethical intervention. I then describe the ways this model hampers political endeavors by restricting the sites of intervention as well as structural access to political participation. I also consider contemporary efforts at political engagement that bypass the state.

Understanding adjuvant endocrine therapy persistence in breast Cancer survivors

BackgroundAdjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) significantly decreases the risk of breast cancer recurrence and mortality. Notwithstanding the demonstrated efficacy of AET, 31–73% of breast cancer survivors do not persist with AET. The purpose of this study was to explore breast cancer survivors’ experiences and perspectives of persisting with AET and to identify the psychosocial and healthcare system factors that influence AET persistence.MethodsInformed by interpretive descriptive methodology and relational autonomy theory, individual interviews were conducted with 22 women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer who had been prescribed AET. These participants also completed a demographic form and a survey that assessed their perceived risk of recurrence. Interviews were analysed using inductive thematic and constant comparative analysis to iteratively compare data and develop conceptualizations of the relationships among data. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the quantitative data.ResultsThe personal, social, and structural factors found to influence AET persistence included AET side effects, perception of breast cancer recurrence risk, medication and necessity beliefs, social support, the patient-provider relationship, and the continuity and frequency of follow-up care. For most women, over time, the decision-making process around AET persistence became a balancing act between quality of life and quantity of life. The interplay between the personal, social, and structural factors was complex and the weight women placed on some factors over others influenced their AET persistence or non-persistence.ConclusionExpanding our understanding of the factors affecting breast cancer survivors’ AET persistence from their perspective is the first step in developing efficacious, patient-centered interventions aimed at improving AET persistence. In order to improve AET persistence, enhanced symptom management is required, as well as the development of supportive care strategies that acknowledge the values and beliefs held by breast cancer survivors while reinforcing the benefits of AET, and addressing women’s reasons for non-persistence. Improved continuity of health care and patient-healthcare provider communication across oncology and primary care settings is also required. The development and evaluation of supportive care strategies that address the challenges associated with AET experienced by breast cancer survivors hold the potential to increase both women’s quality and quantity of life.

ACCEPTING THE AUTONOMY’S PILLAR ‘FREEDOM OF THE WILL’ IN MORAL EDUCATION BASED ON ISLAMIC MYSTICISM: THE CAPACITY OF SOUTH EAST ASIA’S

The current article seeks to demonstrate the possibility of modernizing Islamic moral education in a special part of Muslim lands namely South East Asia by adapting to the theory of autonomy (moral independence) based on the unique capacity of Islamic mysticism. The method of this research is qualitative. The purpose of the article is to prove that due to the wide mysticism found in the South East Asia region, such as Malaysia, there is a large capacity in this region for the develpopment of Islamic moral education and the acceptance of main pillar of autonomy namely freedom of the will, which is an important step in the modernization of Islamic education. The result of this article is that the freedom of the will means that the moral deed must be performed solely for the purpose of its duty and Islamic mysticism precisely explains such motivation for the mystic and thus becomes consistent with the theory of autonomy in this regard. Another result of this article is that South East Asia has the willingness of such a movement (modernization of Islamic moral education with autonomy’s acceptance). The summary of the article is that aligning the Islamic mysticism with the autonomy which symbolizes the modern education on the one hand and the intense mystical tendencies in the South East Asia regions on the other hand provide the proper grounds for both of education scholars and policy makers to begin the movement towards the modernization of education.

Postcode Lottery or Systematic Differences in Norwegian Elder Care Provision?


 
 
 The Nordic welfare states are considered to be universalistic and to provide generous benefits and services. National equality presupposes centralised schemes implemented through national agencies. In the Nordic countries, the municipalities calibrate and pro- vide care services. This article asks what are the reasons for municipal variation in elder care services provision in Norway? Building on theories of local autonomy, the expla- natory variables are the state monetary transfer system, local government, municipal demography and structure, and path dependency. The data consists of municipal registry data from Statistics Norway. The main finding of a regression analysis of data from 2014, is that the state transfer system is the principal variable explaining the current municipal variation in elder care services in Norway. The conclusion is that policies at the national level matter more than local politics and needs when explaining the current differences in service provision between municipalities. The finding enlightens the blame-shifting between higher and lower tiers of government concerning the perceived shortcomings in elder care services provision, and suggests that a revision of the monetary transfer system might be more appropriate than increased legislation if the aim is decreased municipal differences in this area.
 
 

Feminist innovation in philosophy: Relational autonomy and social justice

Feminist philosophy has opened up new areas of investigation across a wide range of sub-fields in mainstream Anglophone philosophy, Continental philosophy and applied ethics. Yet, despite the fact that over the last three decades feminist philosophy has challenged and transformed many sub-fields of the discipline, its impact within the discipline is often patchy, and feminist philosophy is regarded by some philosophers as “not real philosophy”. Several factors might account for this phenomenon, including the under-representation of women in the discipline, the chilly climate for women in some quarters of the discipline, a gender-stereotyped culture within the discipline of rewarding those perceived to be “smart”, and the devaluation of the knowledge claims made by feminist philosophers. This article focuses primarily on the final factor, using relational autonomy theory as an illustrative example. This feminist conceptual innovation has challenged and transformed mainstream conceptions of autonomy. However, its impact within the discipline has been less significant than its impact in other fields.

The Methodological Commitments of Contemporary Contract Theory

Autonomy and economic theories of contract seem to provide incompatible accounts of contract law. In this Chapter, I argue that what appear to be first-order disagreements over particular contract doctrines are really implicit second-order disagreements reflecting the divergent methodological commitments of autonomy and economic theories. I argue that autonomy theories accord priority to the normative project of justifying existing contract doctrine, treat contract law as consisting in the plain meaning of doctrine, require contract theory to explain the distinctive character of contract law, and take the ex post perspective in adjudication. In contrast, economic theories accord priority to the positive project of explaining existing contract theory, treat contract law as consisting in the outcomes of cases, strive to explain away, rather than explain, the distinctiveness of contract law, and take the ex ante perspective in adjudication. I demonstrate how the apparent disagreements between autonomy contract theories, such as Charles Fried's and Peter Benson's theories, and economic theories, such as Charles Goetz and Robert Scott's contract theory, reflect these opposing methodological commitments, rather than direct disagreements over particular contract doctrines. I also demonstrate that these theories' opposing perspectives in adjudication do not, as Richard Craswell has famously argued, necessarily disable all autonomy theories from addressing the problem of contractual gaps. I conclude that genuine progress on the first-order questions of contract law can be made only by first identifying and then adjudicating the methodological disagreements between different kinds of contract theories.

Distributed intervention: networked content moderation in anonymous mobile spaces

Given recent public focus on the use of digital tools to engage in discrimination and harassment, online platforms have come under increasing scrutiny to address online incivility. Many of these efforts have been critiqued for relying too heavily on technical tools or burdening individuals with the responsibility for reporting inappropriate actions. This research examines practices of digital bystander intervention on the anonymous localized mobile app Yik Yak. Through an analysis of the firsthand experiences of college students in the United States, this research identifies and investigates practices of networked intervention—that is, strategies of content moderation where success relies on collective action. Rooted in a general uncertainty and skepticism regarding reporting tools provided by the platform, findings suggest a preference for intervention practices that depend on distributed responsibility and networked activity. Taking inspiration from research on college bathroom graffiti—a parallel discursive environment—this paper employs the feminist theory of relational autonomy to explore the possibilities and limitations of networked intervention to cultivate individual and collective empowerment.

Социальная база культурности: объясняют ли Пьер Бурдье, Пол ДиМаджио и другие паттерны участия в культурной жизни российского мегаполиса

Михаил Евгеньевич Илле – старший преподаватель, кафедра философии и социальных коммуникаций, Санкт-Петербургский университет гражданской авиации; издатель и редактор журнала «Телескоп»: журнал социологических и маркетинговых исследований. Адрес: 190005, Санкт-Петербург, Измайловский пр., 14, комната 508. E-mail: red_tel@mail.ru
 Михаил Михайлович Соколов – кандидат социологических наук, профессор, факультет политических наук и социологии, Европейский университет в Санкт-Петербурге. Адрес: 191187, Санкт-Петербург, ул. Гагаринская, д. 3а. E-mail: msokolov@eu.spb.ru
 Цитирование: Илле М.Е., Соколов М.М. (2018) Социальная база культурности: объясняют ли Пьер Бурдье, Пол ДиМаджио и другие паттерны участия в культурной жизни российского мегаполиса // Мир России. Т. 27. № 2. С. 163–188. DOI: 10.17323/1811-038X-2018-27-2-163-188
 Несмотря на активно дебатируемый вопрос о применимости западной теории к российской действительности, мы находим лишь очень немного случаев, когда эта применимость становилась бы предметом эмпирического исследования. В предлагаемой статье мы сравниваем объяснительную силу пяти конкурирующих теорий культурного потребления на материале Мониторинга культурной жизни Санкт-Петербурга 2005–2011 годов – демонстративного потребления, культурного воспроизводства, культурной мобильности, статусной автономии и плюрализации жизненных стилей. Мы описываем эти теории а затем пробуем извлечь из них предсказания в отношении влияния базовых социальных атрибутов на “культурность” индивида. В целом ожидания, основанные на теориях культурного воспроизводства (Бурдье), хуже всего согласуются с нашими данными; демонстративное потребление и культурная мобильность также дают несколько неточных прогнозов. Наш вывод состоит в том, что теория статусной автономии остается единственной, которую данные не опровергают, но, возможно, плюрализация жизненных стилей имеет место в младших поколениях.

"Ultimately, mom has the call": Viewing clinical trial decision making among patients with ovarian cancer through the lens of relational autonomy.

ObjectiveThis study employs the concept of relational autonomy to understand how relational encounters with family members (FMs) and care providers may shape decisions around ovarian cancer patients’ clinical trial (CT) participation. The study also offers unique insights into how FMs view patients’ decision making.MethodsIn‐depth interviews were conducted with 33 patients with ovarian cancer who had been offered a CT and 39 FMs. Data were inductively analysed using a thematic approach and deductively informed by constructs derived from the theory of relational autonomy (RA).ResultsPatients’ relationships, experiences and social status were significant resources that shaped their decisions. Patients did not give equal weight to all relationships and created boundaries around whom to include in decision making. Doctors’ recommendations and perceived enthusiasm were described as influential in CT decisions. Both patients with ovarian cancer and their FMs maintained that patients have the “final say,” indicating an individualistic autonomy. However, maintaining the “final say” in the decision‐making process is constitutive of patients’ relationships, emphasizing a relational approach to autonomy. FMs support patients’ autonomy and they do so particularly when they believe the patient is capable of making the right choices.ConclusionsAlthough ethical principles underlying informed consent for CT participation emphasize individual autonomy, greater attention to relational autonomy is warranted for a more comprehensive understanding of CT decision making.

Feministička rekonceptualizacija lične autonomije

The problem of defining personal autonomy is at the core of numerous discussions of interest for feminists. Lack of respect for agent's preference would be a violation of her autonomy. On the other hand, respect for her adaptive preferences would be capitulation in front of the institutional injustice which produced them in the first place. In the first part of the paper, the procedural theory of personal autonomy based on the independent agent's authorization of desire will be discussed. According to the procedural or value-variable solution to this problem, the agent is autonomous in relation to her own desires, if she identifies with them, regardless of the content of her desires. The procedural analysis of personal autonomy has been originally developed through the theory of the free will of philosopher Harry Frankfurt and the theory of the personal autonomy of philosopher Gerald Dworkin. The conception of personal autonomy developed by Frankfurt and Dworkin is structural because according to it the agent is autonomous when the first-order desire (the desire for a certain state of affairs) is in line with the second-order desire (the desire to want a certain state of affairs). This conception is also hierarchical because it favours the second-order desires relative to the first-order desires. Identification could be achieved only through changing the first-order desire so that it is in line with the second-order desire, but not the other way around. The hierarchical conception of personal autonomy is the subject of numerous feminist critiques. The critique of the one-way identification process by philosophers Marilyn Friedman and Diana Tietjens Meyers will be discussed in the second part of the paper as a feminist alternative to the traditional, hierarchical conception of personal autonomy.

Islamist Women's Agency and Relational Autonomy

Mainstream conceptions of autonomy have been surreptitiously gender‐specific and masculinist. Feminist philosophers have reclaimed autonomy as a feminist value, while retaining its core ideal as self‐government, by reconceptualizing it as “relational autonomy.” This article examines whether feminist theories of relational autonomy can adequately illuminate the agency of Islamist women who defend their nonliberal religious values and practices and assiduously attempt to enact them in their daily lives. I focus on two notable feminist theories of relational autonomy advanced by Marina Oshana and Andrea Westlund and apply them to the case of Women's Mosque Movement participants in Egypt. I argue that feminist conceptions of relational autonomy, centered around the ideal of self‐government, cannot elucidate the agency of Women's Mosque Movement participants whose normative ideal involves perfecting their moral capacity.

The ‘David and Goliath’ and 2015 Election Outcomes in Nigeria: From the Opposition to the Ruling Party

Generally, Nigerian political parties in the present republic have been hampered by crisis of internal democracy thus undermining their political leadership recruitment function. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a good example of one of these Nigerian political parties that lacks internal democracy. In fact, PDP was a leviathan. The 2015 Election symbolised a contest between David and Goliath. The electoral outcome is that PDP has transformed from a ruling party to an opposition party. The study, by relying on the theory of relative autonomy of the state and secondary sources, concludes that lack of internal democracy was a necessary condition for PDP’s poor performance in the 2015 General Elections, and thus, there is a relationship between crisis of internal democracy and 2015 electoral outcomes. Also, the article noted that PDP authoritarianism deepened crisis of internal democracy in Nigeria and that this authoritarian character of the former ruling PDP was a reflection of the authoritarian character of the Nigerian state, which is currently shaping the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The study is essentially qualitative, historical and inductive.