Agency and Structure

Theories of structure and agency have long been central to social theory. Two dominant ways of theorizing structure, the relational and the institutional, are distinguished. The idea of relational structures draws attention to networks of social relations, connections, and vertical and horizontal interdependencies between individuals and collectives. The notion of institutional structures refers to the beliefs, values, symbols, ideas, and expectations that make up the mutual knowledge of members of a society. Agency theorists believe both of these structural approaches tend to underplay the role of agency in social relations. Two approaches to agency are identified: the neo‐Kantian tradition and phenomenological tradition; and the pragmatist and symbolic interactionist tradition. More recent contributions are recounted, indicating that contemporary debates are couched less in terms of structure versus agency and more in terms of the precise ways in which these two major aspects of social life intertwine and affect each other.