approaches to structure vs agency

Question 1

what are the 3 different approaches?

Answer 1

Giddens structuration theory
Archer morphogenetic approach
Hay strategic relational approach

Question 2

how did Giddens describe structure and agency?

Answer 2

two sides of the same coin, internally related and interdependent

Question 3

what distinction does Giddens see between structure vs agency?

Answer 3

analytical

Question 4

what does Giddens believe researchers should do with structure and agency?

Answer 4

bracket one off during research

Question 5

why did Giddens come up with structuration theory?

Answer 5

to bridge the gap between structuralists and intentionalists

Question 6

why does Giddens believe structure and agency are interdependent?

Answer 6

structures exist through agents and agents also have rules that they have to abide by

Question 7

How does Hay criticise Giddens’ structuration theory?

Answer 7

can be seen as privileging the agency side, as seen in Giddens’ empirical research

Question 8

what distinction does Archer see between structure vs agency?

Answer 8

analytical and ontological

Question 9

what is Archer’s morphogenetic approach?

Answer 9

T1 - structural conditioning
T2-3 - social interaction
T4 - structural elaboration, leading to morphogenesis and morphostasis

Question 10

how did Archer describe structure and agency?

Answer 10

2 strands which operate differently but entwine

Question 11

what distinction is important for Archer between structure and agency?

Answer 11

the temporal distinction

Question 12

How does Hay criticise Archer’s morphogenetic approach? (3)

Answer 12

structure and agency are only analytically separate, takes issue with the idea that structure predates agency and the temporal distinction, therefore presents an ‘agent centric’ view again

Question 13

what distinction does Hay see between structure vs agency?

Answer 13

analytical

Question 14

how does Hay describe structure and agency?

Answer 14

cannot be seperated, temporally or otherwise - they are mutually constituted

Question 15

How does Hay use Giddens’ coin analogy for his own approach?

Answer 15

2 alloys within the same coin

Question 16

does structure have any independent causal power for Hay?

Answer 16

no

Question 17

what is the core of the strategic relational approach?

Answer 17

“the interaction between strategic actors and the strategic context within which they find themselves”

Question 18

what are the crucial issue with the strategic relational approach?

Answer 18

if structure (and agency) have no independent causal power, it’s hard to see how the relationship between them is dialectical

Question 19

which side does Hay’s strategic relational approach end up privileging? why?

Answer 19

agents because it is their choice what is important, and structures don’t exist independently and only have an effect when the agent recognises them and chooses to be influenced by them

Question 20

how does Hay describe strategy?

Answer 20

‘…it is the intention to realise certain outcomes and objectives that motivate action…informed by a strategic assessment of the relevant context…’

Question 21

what does Hay’s definition of strategy mean for his research?

Answer 21

since the explanatory power lies with the consciousness of agents, we need to identify the discourses which shape the context and therefore the outcome

Question 22

how is Archer’s formulation different to Hay? (3)

Answer 22

• both have causal powers, although not independently
• emphasises the relationship as dialectical, as structure constrains or facilitates the agent, who in acting change structures, etc etc
• recognises that structures can have an unconscious affect on agents

Question 23

who provides an idea of how agents can be unconsciously affected by structures?

Answer 23

Bordieu’s habitus

Question 24

if you conceptualise agency and structure as ontologically separated, how can the relationship be seen as dialectical? (6)

Answer 24

• structures provide the context within which actors act
• actors have preferences which they attempt to forward
• actors interpret the context within which they act
• however, structures can have an unconscious affect on agents
• in acting, agents change the structure
• the structures then provide the context within which agents act in the next iteration