Thursday, January 10, 2008

Agency and Structure

"Agency" is defined as the capacity of people to act,
assert and make choices independently.

"Structure", on the other hand, pertains to the factors
(class, ethnicity, gender, faith, affiliation) that influence
the people's agency.

  • There are three theoretical positions:
    -structure over agency (structure determines the agency)
    -agency over structure (agency can define & redefine structure)
    -synthesis
  • The challenge now is how to enhance the
    "agency" of the marginalized sectors of the society.

DS 112 recorded speech (alternative theories and approaches)

Present a recorded 3-minute speech about your assigned topic. Situate it in the context of the Global South. Provide an appropriate title. P...