Okuzeka
Sociology vocabulary · Theories and Thinkers

Agency

Meaning in sociology, with examples

/ˈeɪdʒənsi/nounCommon term

In sociology, agency means: The capacity of individuals to act independently, make their own choices and change their circumstances, despite the limits set by social structure.

In Turkish: failiyet, eyleyicilik, eylem kapasitesi

How it is used

Almost always discussed together with structure, in the structure and agency debate. Giddens's structuration theory and Bourdieu's work both try to connect the two. The person who acts is sometimes called an agent or an actor.

Example sentences

  1. The interviews show that the women used their agency to negotiate better working hours.

  2. Critics argue that the theory leaves too little room for human agency.

Common collocations

  • structure and agency
  • human agency
  • individual agency
  • exercise agency
  • social structureThe relatively stable pattern of social relationships, institutions and positions in a society, which shapes and limits what individuals can do.
  • habitusIn Bourdieu's theory, the deeply rooted habits, tastes, dispositions and ways of seeing the world that people acquire from their social background and usually take for granted.
  • symbolic interactionismA theoretical approach that studies how people create and share meanings in everyday interaction, using symbols such as language and gestures.
  • sociological imaginationThe ability to see the link between personal experiences and wider social forces, so that private troubles can be understood as public issues.

More terms: Theories and Thinkers

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: