ABSTRACT
Using Scandinavia as point of departure, this chapter discusses the cultural concept of autonomy in relation to children's emotional management against a backdrop of societal change. Drawing on ethnographic observations at a children's centre and inspired by the theoretical work of Norbert Elias and Cas Wouters on civilizing processes and informalization, the chapter points at a paradox: that the detachment of the individual from traditional social bonds has led to a loosening of social forms, yet at the same time also heightened the attention from various professionals to overlook and guide children's development into autonomous social beings. Instead of individual emancipation, the chapter shows how autonomy today requires specific social skills: a clear sense of emotional expressions, the ability to reflect on one's own behaviour, and the flexibility to adapt it to socially diverse situations.
