Resources
From Geography
Resources are defined by Lippuner and Werlen as a disposal of the activities of other people (authoritative resources) and availability of material objects or artifacts (allocative resources) to achieve aims or further interests (Lippuner & Werlen, 2009, p. 39). So there are two kinds of resources authoritative resources and allocative resources. Because resources involve the generation of power there are implied in all social practices. Resources are closely related with rules within the aspect of structure. Structure comprises two aspects: rules and resources. That is to say, the flow of human action is embedded in certain rules and resources that are, at the same time, produced and reproduced by human action. Or, put more accurately: human agency refers to specific semantic and normative rules, as well as to allocative and authoritative resources (Lippuner & Werlen, 2009, p. 43).
Recources and the reproduction of power
Recources are a important aspect within the structuration theory. Anthony Giddens sees a recource as the power over people and materials. A resource is not understood as a certain state or thing but rather as a capability of transformation. It denotes the range of things an actor is able to do (Lippuner & Werlen, 2009, p. 43). Within this Giddens define power as a part of social encounters, so power is inplicit in all interactions and social relations. The differencation of the two recources has been created by Anthony Giddens:
- The transformative capacity of authorization, authoritative resources refer to the capacity of controlling the humanly created social world, that is, controlling the actors themselves (Lippuner & Werlen, 2009, p. 43). So Transformative capacity of aturhorization has the main question: How much can a actor organize?
- Allocation, Allocative resources refer to the capability of controlling the natural basis of human life, that is, steering, the appropriation and use of material objects (Lippuner & Werlen, 2009, p. 43).
Reference
Lippuner, R. & Werlen, B. (2009). Structuration Theory. Jena: University Jena.
Contributions
Created and edited by Pieter van Luijk 22 October 2012
