In the article “Individual Autonomy and Social Structure”, Dorothy Lee talks about individual autonomy. She goes through the topic by examining different groups such as; the Wintu Indians of California, the Sikh family, the Navaho Indians of Arizona and New Mexico, and the Chinese culture. All of these different groups and societies give personal freedom to the individuals regardless of age groups. The example of Navaho Indians is used by Lee to demonstrate how “personal autonomy is supported by the cultural framework” (Lee, 1959, p.5). She points out the individual autonomy of non-western societies to the individuality of western society. One group gives full independence to an individual while the other does not and puts restrictions in place through some form. She states “...in a heterogeneous society such as ours, and in an era of induced change and speeded temp of living, it has been difficult to implement this tenet in the everyday details of living” (Lee, 1959, p.5). She points out the fast living pace of western society, where the personal autonomy given from the other cultures is lacking. Lee uses the example of a Navaho mother to show the personal autonomy of a child. In this example the baby walks around the house without the mother keeping an eye on it. Although knowing that the baby could get hurt by the knife or the fire, she does not put away the sharp object, nor does she keeps the baby away from the fire. Lee considers that “for Navaho mothers, personal autonomy means that her child has the freedom to make his own mistakes, to suffer pain or grief or joy and learn from the experience” (Lee, 1959, p. 13). The mother takes the chance to leave her baby to explore on his or her own, knowing that it could harm the c... ... middle of paper ... ...e mother left him to explore on his own to learn lessons about what is around him, such as the fire. Although he will get hurt once, he will learn from the experience. Even when it comes to social structure person autonomy can work out well. In the example of the Burmese novices, one can ask and ensure with the one in power or knowledge, but a person does not need to follow what he or she has been told to do. It is not a command but a suggestion and warning. Thus, personal autonomy can be practiced when it comes to work. A person does not have to be fully on his own to be individual. In both the child and work example, the child and workers are supported. Although they are left to do things on their own, the mother and the monk are there when help is required. Works Cited Lee, D. (1959). "Individual Autonomy and Social Structure." Freedom and Culture. Englewood
Independence and selfishness are not standards in such communities or tribes, and consequently security results from selfless loyalty towards others in the tribe. This kind of attitude towards others that demonstrates allegiance to one's people is prominent among people such as the Indians in the west.
The Argument from Autonomy has three premises: 1. If hedonism is true, then autonomy contributes to a good life only insofar as it makes us happy. 2. Autonomy sometimes directly contributes to a good life, even if it fails to make us happy.
Through these actions, she likely had the same mindset as the typical U.S. parents studied by Morelli et al. Morelli et al. argued that Mayan families did not have bedtime routines or used transitional objects because the infants usually fall asleep with the same people that they interact with during the day, whereas U.S. families used bedtime routines and transitional objects to get their children to fall asleep because the children are typically alone when they go to bed. Though Taiwan and the U.S. have different cultures, one aspect of the two cultures that are similar is that in both cultures the parents wish for their children to have autonomy. In a study of Taiwanese children’s autonomy, d'Ailly asserts that, like children in the U.S., Taiwanese children are encouraged by parents or teachers to establish autonomy. Most U.S. and Taiwanese parents value autonomy and independence, and thus through their use of bedtime routines and transitional objects, they hope their child can become accustomed to falling asleep with few family members nearby to help the child become more independent when the child has to sleep alone in the future. Sara gave her infant the towel and pacifier so that the infant would slowly learn to
The debate over individualism and collectivism has been the fundamental conflict both in political philosophy and in ethics. Philosophers such as Ayn Rand think that human beings are fundamentally individuals, and that everyone exists for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. But it is very rare for one to live completely alone by himself. The entire human race would not be able to evolve and reproduce, if humans were individualistic in nature, and each individual needs some form of support from group to enhance its own odds of surviving. Humans naturally are in need of each other to survive, to reproduce, and to protect their offspring. Such needs are innately built into every human being, and
Andre, Claire, and Manuel Velasquez. "American Society and Individualism." American Society and Individualism. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, 2010. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
In cases involving benevolent lies many argue these lies are “good lies” because they aren’t causing immediate harm or danger to anyone. Hill contends benevolent lies are wrong not only because they’re a lie, but they violate autonomy. Hill points out autonomy is morally important because it helps explain the right and wrong of different actions. When a benevolent lie is told it interferes with a person’s autonomy by depriving them of knowledge. The knowledge deprives them from the options open to them in the given situation. Hill’s argument is plausible because benevolent lies are troublesome. It is important for someone to have autonomy because if you’re making the decision for someone you can never know if it’s the right one. In the “Mother of Lies” case the mother has violated her daughter’s autonomy because she hasn’t given her the opportunity to decide if she wants to meet her real father. I believe in the right of autonomy; therefore, I object benevolent lies. Furthermore, benevolent lies go against what is morally
(1994). Beyond Individualism/Collectivism: New Cultural Dimensions of Values. In U.Kim, H.C. Triandis, C. Kagitcibasi, S. Choi & G. Yoon (Eds.). Individualism and Collectivism: Theory, Method, and Applications. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, pp. 112-115.
Thoreau, Henry David, and Jeffrey S. Cramer. Walden : A Fully Annotated Edition. New Haven:
First, I will go over the cultural difference based on American and Indian followed by the example of Individualism, privacy, and Gender equality.
One noticeable cultural difference between the society pictured in this chapter and our American society seems to be a collectivist ideology. In America we value the individual and place emphasis on distinction from the group. This causes a strong sense of competition, and leads people to take actions that would benefit themselves in spite of negative effects that may trickle to other members of the community. The culture pictured in our reading, however, seems to place greater value on family and community goals rather than the needs or wants of specific individuals.
Individualism in today’s society is the “belief that each person is unique, special, and a ‘basic unit of nature’.” The individualism concept puts an “emphasis on individual initiative” where people act independently of others and use self-motivation to prosper. The individualists “value privacy” over community the individual thrives to move ahead in life (U S Values).
...clusion, Caitlin Tom’s essay Individuality vs. Fitting in, the American novel Little Women by Louisa Alcott, and the romantic yet empowering dramatic film Jane Eyre all exemplify the importance of a society pertaining individualism as it leads to overcoming societal barriers and stereotypes through recognition, it encourages individuals to bring about change through their unique individualism, and aids them in valuing the invoked change in relation to their individualist characteristics and traits. It is evident that individualism is very crucial for a society willing to maintain its civilization successfully. Thus, individualistic traits are the fuel which drive a society to its development and initiation through evolution. As a reminder, Individuals should use their unique individualistic traits and characteristics in order to help improve society as a whole.
...en that is the way that one can incorporate social groups into their everyday lives, all the while maintaining their autonomy. This segues into the final point: maintaining one’s autonomy is important because one should provide their own unique input, generating various ideas and unique perspectives allows others to build onto that and ultimately advances society as a whole.
Throughout A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen illustrates through an intriguing story how a once infantile-like woman gains independence and a life of her own. Ibsen creates a naturalistic drama that demonstrates how on the outside Nora and Torvald seam to have it all, but in reality their life together is empty. Instead of meaningful discussions, Torvald uses degrading pet names and meaningless talk to relate to Nora. Continuing to treat Nora like a pampered yet unimportant pet, Torvald thoroughly demonstrates how men of his era treat women as insignificant items to be possessed and shown off. While the Helmer household may have the appearance of being sociably acceptable, the marriage of Torvald and Nora was falling apart because of the lack of identity, love, and communication.
In the end, what we learn from this article is very realistic and logical. Furthermore, it is supported with real-life examples. Culture is ordinary, each individual has it, and it is both individual and common. It’s a result of both traditional values and an individual effort. Therefore, trying to fit it into certain sharp-edged models would be wrong.