Constrained Freedom: Economic Strain, Time Control, and Perceived Autonomy in Life

Authors

• Lorena E. BlackFollow

Streaming Media

Files

Course Code

SYA

Course Number

4300C

Faculty/Instructor

Dr Michael Loree

Faculty/Instructor Email

Michael.Loree@ucf.edu

About the Author

I present this work as a senior undergraduate student completing a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, with Sociology as one of my minors. As a future scholar in English and Education in Health Sciences (EdD), this project represents an early stage in my academic trajectory, grounded in interdisciplinary inquiry and a sustained interest in questions of autonomy, structure, and lived experience. This research was conducted as part of a research-intensive course following the completion of my Honors Undergraduate Thesis, which examined the figure of the vagabond as a form of deliberate non-participation in structured society. Together, these projects reflect a developing scholarly focus on freedom, constraint, and the social conditions that shape human life. I am grateful for the academic training, mentorship, and institutional support that have made this work possible, as well as for the opportunity to contribute to ongoing sociological conversations through this research.

Abstract, Summary, or Creative Statement

Autonomy is often framed as an individual capacity rooted in personal choice, discipline, and self-determination, with dominant cultural narratives positioning freedom as something earned through effort and responsibility. This study challenges that assumption by examining autonomy as a socially structured and unequally distributed condition shaped by material and temporal constraints. Drawing on classical and contemporary sociological frameworks—including Marx’s analysis of labor and material dependence, Weber’s account of disciplined rationality, and Antonio Gramsci’s concept of cultural hegemony—this research positions perceived autonomy as an outcome produced through economic and institutional arrangements rather than solely through individual will. While existing literature has extensively examined economic insecurity, precarious labor, and time discipline, perceived autonomy is often treated as a secondary variable, typically in relation to stress or well-being. This study addresses that gap by analyzing autonomy as a primary outcome in its own right. Using a structured, anonymous online survey administered via Qualtrics, this research measures perceived autonomy, financial strain, and time constraints among undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida. It is hypothesized that increased economic strain and greater time pressure will be associated with diminished perceptions of control. Undergraduate students provide a particularly relevant population due to their positioning within overlapping systems of financial limitation, institutional scheduling, and labor precarity, allowing for a focused examination of how structural conditions shape the lived experience of freedom.

Keywords

Freedom; Autonomy; Perceived Autonomy; Structural Inequality; Economic Strain; Financial Insecurity; Time Constraints; Time Discipline; Labor Precarity; Precarious Work; Sociological Theory; Social Structure; Agency; Class Inequality; Neoliberalism; Hegemony; Cultural Hegemony; Undergraduate Students; Survey Research; Lived Experience; Social Stratification; Constraint

Recommended Citation

Black, Lorena E., "Constrained Freedom: Economic Strain, Time Control, and Perceived Autonomy in Life" (2026). High Impact Practices Student Showcase Spring 2026. 20.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hip-2026spring/20