The Turn Toward Self-Responsibility in Current Societies: Differences, Challenges, and Perspectives. (January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frericks, Patricia; Höppner, Julia
• Other Names: Frericks Patricia guest-editor.; Höppner Julia guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: American behavioral scientist. Volume 63:Number 1(2019)
• Page Start: 3
• Page End: 9
• Publication Date: 2019-01
• Subjects: self-responsibility -- society -- social theory -- embeddedness; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Political science -- Periodicals; United States -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; 300
• DOI: 10.1177/0002764218815534
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-7642

Abstract

Current societies have undergone a many-faceted but also general turn toward self-responsibility. This is hardly contested, as shown by societal analyses of different kinds. Up to now though, the literature on self-responsibility has either focused on specific areas of society or hardly discussed the concept in sociological depth. In this special issue, we aim to do both. From a broad sociological and societal perspective the special issue analyses differences and communalities in the turn toward self-responsibility and highlights the challenges and perspectives it presents. The aim is a new discussion of the concept of self-responsibility that draws on actors' embeddedness in institutional environments and emphasizes the consequences of the development for individuals and societies.