Self-Responsibility: Transformations. (January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Maier, Robert
• Other Names: Frericks Patricia guest-editor.; Höppner Julia guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: American behavioral scientist. Volume 63:Number 1(2019)
• Page Start: 27
• Page End: 42
• Publication Date: 2019-01
• Subjects: self-responsibility -- welfare arrangements -- resistance; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Political science -- Periodicals; United States -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; 300
• DOI: 10.1177/0002764218816802
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-7642

Abstract

Self-responsibility is a concept of modern times; however, it has roots going back to ancient times. It points to the accountability of individuals for their actions. Therefore, it presupposes at least some degree of autonomy of the individual as a responsible member of the social fabric. That self-responsibility has changed significantly in modern times, and particularly during recent decades, is the main thesis of this article. In a first part, the concept of (self-)responsibility is examined briefly, and its different dimensions are pointed out. Recent transformations in the notion of self-responsibility are put forward as a hypothesis. Then the central part of this article addresses the question how welfare arrangements have been reorganized in recent decades as a result of the transformations in the concept of self-responsibility. Finally, I mention the main forms of resistance this new type of self-responsibility.