From Antagonistic Autonomy to Relational Autonomy: A Theoretical Reflection from the Southern Cone

Abstract

The concept of autonomy has acquired a plurality of meanings in international relations; this article analyzes the distinct uses given to this term in Latin America and its relationship to theoretical contributions from outside the region. The authors propose a far‐reaching reconceptualization of autonomy appropriate to Latin America's new circumstances in the global context. They argue that these new circumstances favor the shift from autonomy as traditionally defined to what they call relational autonomy, a construct based on contributions from classical political theory, political sociology, gender studies, social and philosophical psychology, and the theory of complex thought.

Foreign Policy Change in Latin America: Exploring a Middle-Range Concept

“…Second, another recurrent theme in Latin America has been its place in the North-South divide and the discussion over the benefits that can be obtained from an alliance with industrialized/developed countries vis-à-vis the developing world (Puig 1980;Jaguaribe 1985;Escudé 1992;Hey 1997;Russell and Tokatlian 2003;Briceño Ruiz 2012;Schenoni and Escudé 2016). Those countries that emphasized North-South relations sought to engage politically and economically with the Western industrialized countries seeking to attract investment, increase foreign trade, and obtain varying degrees of political support and military aid.…”

Chinese Concepts and Relational International Politics

“…The logic of relationships therefore outlines a 'context for action' in which goals can be achieved through an active, committed, and responsible involvement in world affairs. 70 Informed by the extremely situational and particularistic nature of Chinese culture, the logic of relationships infers that as the circumstances of interactions change, so too will the patterns of guanxi. 71 Such framing also undermines the linear causality backstopping Western takes on relationality -namely, that if two (or more actors) interact with one another their relations will necessarily lead to greater intimacy.…”

Latin American IR and the Primacy oflo práctico1

“…Therefore, the over riding concern all of the literature on autonomy was to identify the potential sources of external, internal, economic, and political autonomy, and to design effective strategies for achieving its full potential. In this regard, autonomy became an “idea‐force” (Russell and Tokatlian 2003:6) that underwrote the intellectual–political IR condominium. From the outside in, autonomy came to be equated with statehood and the nation, and was viewed as the primary means of securing distinct forms of non‐dependent or authoctonous development.…”

“…The latter group of countries has begun to adopt pragmatic economic policies that combine promarket attitudes with efforts to respond to the socioeconomic and political demands of the local population. According to Russell and Tokatlian (2003:12–13), the integration model that they have applied highlights the need to strengthen political, commercial, financial, and investment links with global power centers through joint Latin American efforts. This strategy, defined as “relational autonomy” by the authors, emphasizes the importance of stronger regional relations for enhanced decision making and action capacities deemed crucial for satisfying other objectives such as security, democratic strengthening, and welfare.…”