ABSTRACT
A striking feature of the human condition is its dual, contradictory, inherently split character; on the one hand, autonomy and freedom; on the other, constraint and dependence on social structure. This volume addresses this central problem of the linkage between human action and social structure in sociological and social science theory. Contributions cover several different approaches to the agency-structure problematic, and represent the work of a number of leading international sociologists. Their efforts point to a reorientation of social theory, both on philosophical and methodological levels.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |60 pages
Between Agency and Structure: An Overview of the Debate
part |103 pages
Divergent Perspectives on Human Agency in Classical and Contemporary Social Theory
part |142 pages
Dimensions of Agency and Structure: Toward a Theoretical Convergence