Agency [1] , agency [1] [2] ( English agency ; there is no established translation into Russian) - the fundamental sociological category and the subject of discussion in the social and human sciences [3] . In the absence of scientific consensus, agency can be broadly defined as a person’s ability to act, the ability to act as an independent agent and make informed and free choices. The degree of this freedom is determined by a person’s place in a social structure - in particular, by his belonging to a particular social class , gender , religion , etc.
Agency is linked to the legacy of liberal humanism, which is central to democratic citizenship. The problem of agency refers to metaphysical, philosophical and ethical issues: free will, individuality, subjective rights and moral responsibility. In sociology, agency is usually considered in line with the concepts of social action and actor, agent-structure, micro-macro, individualism-holism are discussed in the framework of dichotomies. While supporters of microsociological approaches ultimately deduce all social phenomena from agency, their opponents defend the autonomous status of social entities at the macro level (organizations, states, social structures) [3] .
See also
- Habitus (sociology)
- free will
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Kuchinov A.M. CONTEMPORARY STRUCTURE-AGENCY THEORIES AND RUSSIAN SOCIOLOGY . Humanitarian research. 2015. No 4
- ↑ Laura Olson, Svetlana Adonyeva; per. from English A. Zinder. Tradition, transgression, compromise: Worlds of Russian village women . New Literature Review , 2016. ISBN 978-5-4448-0518-3
- ↑ 1 2 Fuchs, Stephan. Agency (and intention) // George Ritzer (ed.) The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. - Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2009. - P. 60-62. - ISBN 978-1-4051-2433-1 .