ABSTRACT
Structuration theory was developed by Giddens in an attempt to overcome the major rift that has divided social theory. As we noted in the introduction to Chapter 4, on the one hand, there is an extensive body of literature that concentrates upon the influence of material conditions on social outcomes, thereby playing down the importance of individuals. In its most extreme form this approach is manifest in economic determinism. On the other hand, there is an extensive body of literature that focuses primarily upon individuals and their consciousness as the key to understanding social outcomes. In its extreme form this approach can lead to voluntarism. Giddens notes that whilst most approaches in social science tend, at least in principle, to fall between these two extremes, in practice, they tend to
concentrate upon one direction of causality. Thus, many studies of economic change play only lip-service to understanding changes made by people. Conversely, many studies of individuals tend to look at the surrounding environment merely as some sort of static backcloth.
