The Turn Toward Self-Responsibility in Current Societies: Differences, Challenges, and Perspectives

Abstract

Current societies have undergone a many-faceted but also general turn toward selfresponsibility. This is hardly contested, as shown by societal analyses of different kinds. Up to now though, the literature on self-responsibility has either focused on specific areas of society or hardly discussed the concept in sociological depth. In this special issue, we aim to do both. From a broad sociological and societal perspective the special issue analyses differences and communalities in the turn toward self-responsibility and highlights the challenges and perspectives it presents. The aim is a new discussion of the concept of self-responsibility that draws on actors' embeddedness in institutional environments and emphasizes the consequences of the development for individuals and societies.

Analysis of Self Responsibility Level for Elementary School Students

“…Thus, it is necessary to pay more attention to students' self-responsibility. The contributions examine self-responsibility in different contexts and thematic fields to broaden the societal view on the turn toward self-responsibility [22].…”

Ethical Evidence and Policymaking

“…While research misconduct might be perpetrated by individual researchers, the research ecosystem can foster a culture of untrustworthiness (Brown, 2013) since inappropriate use of research outcomes by a third party is seldom considered (Frericks and Höppner, 2019). One of the measures available to combat unethical research behaviour is the law.…”

Marketisation policies in the neoliberal era: How culture and governance structures affect the introduction of market principles in local care policies

“…Several authors have stressed that the increasing popularity of neoliberal ideas in the early 1990s’ discourse on the welfare state was an important precondition for the major role that market principles have played in welfare state reforms. Neoliberalism resembles classical liberalism in that it views liberty, universalism, the free market, a weak role of the state in the provision of welfare and the self-reliance of the social citizen as the main principles of a functioning economy and society (Eggers et al, 2019; Frericks and Höppner, 2019). However, it places even more stress on the priority of market principles, the enforcement of which is considered to be a main task of the state (Harvey, 2005; Slobodian, 2018; Streeck, 2009).…”