What is the “Struggle for Autonomy” in psychology?<\/p>\n
\u2018Autonomy\u2019 can be simply explained as \u2018the quality of being self-governing\u2019 (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). In Psychology, the term is applied to refer to an individual\u2019s ability to make choices based on free will. Humans crave autonomy, as it gives a feeling of control over one\u2019s circumstances: lacking this control leads to feelings of powerlessness, which can in turn cause anger and resentment (Lickerman, 2012). The struggle for autonomy is a construct which appears in numerous contexts across the discipline of Psychology. The basic premise of it is that there is an internal conflict within a person between wanting to be free and self-sufficient, not needing to rely on others to meet one\u2019s needs, and wanting to depend on other people for comfort, support and mutual gratification in meeting one\u2019s needs. The latter could also manifest in a more negative sense: feelings of guilt or shame for one\u2019s actions, either internal or external, can also result in a feeling of lost autonomy. This can manifest in numerous kinds of relationships between people (be that romantic, familial, professional or even clinical), or in relationships between the person and an object or institution (e.g. having to perform proscribed actions to achieve a desired goal, such as attaining a promotion at work). However, Lickerman (2012) points out that rational thinking can assist someone struggling with loss of autonomy on the basis that in completing tasks we don\u2019t want to (therefore losing a degree of autonomy), we are almost invariably doing so to work towards a goal that we do want to achieve. For example, we may acqueise to a romantic partner\u2019s desire over our own in the name of preserving a successful relationship. In this situation, we have \u2018voluntarily surrendered our autonomy in the name of our autonomous desires\u2019 (Lickerman, 2012, n.p).<\/p>\n
Lickerman, A. (2012). \u2018The Desire for Autonomy.\u2019 Psychology Today online. Accessed 18.09.2016 \u2013 available online.<\/p>\n
Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (N.D.). \u2018Autonomy \u2013 Simple Definition\u2019. Accessed 18.09.216 \u2013 available online.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
What is the “Struggle for Autonomy” in psychology?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1942,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n