Individual Autonomy And Social Structure By Dorothy Lee Analysis

Dorothy Lee is the author of “Individual Autonomy and Social Structure”, in which she aims to takes a close look at what individual autonomy is, through examples of it in different societies and their use of it. Lee argues that there is an absence of individual autonomy in American Society and that society is organized in a way that directly contradicts its concept of individual autonomy. This essay will use the example Lee gives of society in the Navaho tribe, with emphasis on how they raise children, in order to explain individual autonomy. In her article, Lee said individual autonomy is “individual freedom or the opportunity for spontaneous functioning” (Lee 1956). Meaning that it is the free will for one to make individual choices. Lee believes that it is not easy to have real individual autonomy in modernized societies, because it is made out of diverse individuals and social norms. Lee also suggests that to those in this society, there is a common belief that if there was too great an

When a baby is born, it is immediately regarded as its own person, not as someone who is under the control of their parents. A Navaho parent would never talk for or on behalf of their children. This is due to the fact that they believe that they cannot just assume what their child is thinking as an individual. They also would never order their child around, but just explain the positive and negative outcomes of the choices they make. Even if a mistake is made, parents will not criticize or pass judgement on their children. They allow their child, as their own person, to learn from whatever consequences may arise, and to reflect upon if their decision was the right one. Simply just having the right to make your own choices is not the only aspect of what individual autonomy is, it is also being the only one responsible for the choices one