A physiological and psychological state in which the body has adapted to a substance and requires it to function normally.
From Latin 'dependentia' meaning 'hanging from,' from 'dependere' (to hang down from).
Dependence means your body has gotten used to a substance — take it away, and your system rebels with withdrawal symptoms.
Language of female 'dependence' on husbands historically justified legal disenfranchisement and economic control. Colonial 'dependence' was weaponized to deny sovereignty to colonized peoples and women.
Use 'dependence' factually for relationships of reliance, but avoid as a judgment on women's or marginalized groups' autonomy. Center interdependence and agency.
["interdependence","reliance","support systems","mutual obligation"]
Women and colonized peoples asserted independence through labor, organizing, and legal reform; acknowledge autonomy movements alongside historical dependence structures.
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