Whose autonomy is it? Botswana socio-ethical approach to the consenting process

The continued debate in the field of bioethics, and my experience in the field, led to a pursuit of the question of collective moral claims and their justification. Being confronted with collective agency, the research process had to diverge from the traditional bioethics framework of individual autonomy to take into consideration the situation on the ground. This paper reflects on the fieldwork bioethical experiences which could inform current bioethical standpoints. My research findings suggest the consenting process in Botswana communities differs from conventional research ethics that are employed in other settings. Further research is required to determine the involvement of Kgosi [Community Leader] in the autonomy process in order to enhance protection of human subjects in local context. The findings in this study could help inform ongoing research on human subjects in the Botswana context as well as other settings with social autonomy realities.