Structure vs. agency
From Geography
‘One of the basic debates in sociology is that about the relative power of agency vs. structure’ (Cline, 2010). In this context ‘agency’ refers to the capacity of individuals to make their own choices and to act independently. On the other hand ‘structure’ refers to the social systems that constrain, if not completely determine, the actions of individuals. So there are two questions:
- To what extent is our behaviour prescribed? (Structure)
- Or are we as human beings free to act? (Agency)
There is an debate going on over the primacy of structure or agency relates to an issue at the heart of both classical and contemporary sociological theory. Emile Durkheim, a functionalist thinks that structure and hierarchy are essential in stabilising the very existence of society. Karl Marx, a theorist, on the other hand, thinks that the social structure can act to the detriment of the majority of individuals in a society. In both these instances "structure" may refer to something both material (or "economic") and cultural (e.g. related to norms, customs, traditions and ideologies).
"One example often used is the situation experienced by members of a sports team. Each member may have some freedom to exercise their own will to act, but their actions are nevertheless powerfully constrained by the accepted and traditional rules of behaviour, which characterize that particular sport. Pressure from authority figures and peers prevent people from doing just anything they want"(Cline, 2010).
Both, structure and agency, exist because of each other. The individual help to create the social system and the social system help to create what the individual is. So you can’t exclude one or the other, but one can be more influential than the other.
Reference:
Cline, A. (2010). Agency vs. structure. Vinddatum 14 november 2010, op: http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/general/bldef_agencystructure.htm
William, H. Sewell, Jr. (1992). A Theory of Structure: Duality, Agency, and Transformation. University of Chicago
Published by Christine Hutting and Milou Pollemans
--StefanBehlen 14:56, 24 October 2011 (CEST)
