From solidarity to autonomy: towards a redefinition of the parameters of the notion of autonomy

Sylvie Fainzang (1)

1 CERMES3 - UMR 8211 / U988 / UM 7 - CERMES3 - Centre de recherche Médecine, sciences, santé, santé mentale, société

Starting from examples of concrete situations in France, I show that autonomy and solidarity seem to be able to coexist only under the condition that the parameters of autonomy are redefined. I show on the one hand that, in situations where autonomy is encouraged, solidarity nevertheless remains at the foundation of the practices and, on the other hand, that in situations largely infused with family solidarity, the latter may put individual autonomy in danger. Yet, based on my ethnographic observations regarding clinical encounters and medical secrecy, I show that while solidarity may be seen to endanger individual autonomy, it does not necessarily endanger autonomy itself. The social practices observable in France reflect the reality of an autonomy that goes beyond the individual, a reality that involves a collective subject and includes solidarity. The opposition between these two values can then be resolved once we agree to consider that the content of the notion of autonomy is dependent on its cultural context of application and on its social use.

Mots clés: individual autonomy; individual/collective; pathogenic solidarity; clinical encounter; medical secrecy; family autonomy

Domaines: Anthropologie sociale et ethnologie

Sylvie Fainzang. From solidarity to autonomy: towards a redefinition of the parameters of the notion of autonomy. Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, 2016, ⟨10.1007/s11017-016-9385-5⟩. ⟨hal-02497022⟩