Chapter 8: Human Agency

Question 1

Giddens three results of modernity:

Answer 1

Rise in identity politics.
New social movements emerge.
Spread of borderless wars/conflicts; global terrorism.

Question 2

Bourdeau: Social Capital Vs Cultural Capital

Answer 2

They are both types of incorporated Capital:
Social Capital:
This is socially learned proper behaviour that provides advantages.
Upper-class etiquette (required for busines success) is much different than lower-class etiquette
Involves relationships among actors with very strong networks of influence
Must acquire a proper disposition to acquire such competence

Cultural: This form of incorporated capital is directly linked to the institution of education (structure!).
- the actual resources that are acquired at home (naturally) and rewarded in school
Thus, such advantage is dependent on the family one is born into and those ‘cultural resources’ that are learned at home before/during interacting with the institution.

Question 3

What is Human Agency:

Answer 3

The capacity of individuals to act independently and make choices that shape their lives and social environments. Human agency emphasizes the active role that individuals play in shaping society, rather than being mere products of social forces or structures

Question 4

What is an institution:

Answer 4

A stable and enduring pattern of social relationships, norms, roles, and practices that fulfill specific societal functions and serve to organize and regulate behavior within a society. Institutions are formal or informal structures that shape and govern various aspects of social life

Question 5

What is Gidden Structuration Theory (3 Core elements)

Answer 5

A) Duality of Structure: social life is characterized by a duality of structure, meaning that structures and agency are interconnected and mutually constitutive. (Relationship between individual and society) individual actors can be power agents when united.

B) Systems: Contextualized in a specific time and space
Acknowledges the inequality of resource distribution (Power)

C) Modernity: As an age of unpredictable social organization:
Globalization & the powerful influences that corporate capitalism has in our daily lives.
The accelerated pace of technological & social change.
The major impact of “information”/communication media on social relations.