Duality (of structure)

From Geography

The duality of structure is the core concept of Giddens’ theory of structuration. The classical social theory is characterized by a dichotomy of structure and agency. On opposition of this, the structuration theory argues that social structures are the medium and the outcome of human agency. All social practices are carried out under specific structural conditions. While at the same time structures are maintained and reproduced only through these social practices (Lippuner & Werlen, 2009, p. 1).

Though the duality of structure, Giddens tried to make a third way, a bridge, between structuralism and the action theoretical approach, or between humanism and Marxism (Aitken & Valentine, p. 86). Giddens saw society as neither existing independently of human activity nor being a product of it. He saw agents as structured and structuring. Agency and structures need each other, like a soccergame needs participants in the form of soccerplayers and a referee. Structuration theory also points out that social structures have to be continually produced and reproduced, that is, maintained, in actual everyday practices (Lippuner & Werlen, 2009, p. 40).

Structure

Structures are enabling and constraining agency, but they also exist only by agency. Structures do not have a consciousness; they do not exist outside agency and are no system of interaction. Structure comes to 'live' by action, like language comes to live by speech. (Lippuner & Werlen, 2009, p. 43). So structures only exist through agency ("Imagine there is war, and nobody would go").

By this duality of structure, structuration theory overcomes the macro-micro dichotomy. Thrift (1985) understood the continual interplay of agency and structure over time and space as an interplay at all physical scales, from a room in a house to the territories demarcated by nation-states (Aitken & Valentine, 2006, p. 88).

References

Aitken, S., & Valentine, G. (2006). Approaches to Human Geography. London: Sage.

Lippuner, R. & Werlen, B. (2009). Structuration Theory. In: International Encyclopedia for Human Geography. Elsevier.

Contributors

Links added and page edited by Aafke Brus --AafkeBrus 18:20, 28 October 2011 (CEST)

Added by Josse Groen