Structure Agency debate PDF

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Concise notes on structuralism, institutionalism and criticisms. Notes on behaviouralism and interests/rational choice theory. Makes this theory-laden lecture much easier....

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Actors, Institutions and Ideas To what extent to humans (agents) have free will and autonomy to act how they choose? This debate focuses on: - Structure: Recurring arrangements which influence or limit the choices agents make and the opportunities available to them. Structures may include social structures (class, age, gender), economic structures (capitalism, globalisation), religious structures, cultural structures. - Agency: The ability of individuals to act independently and to make their own free choices without any exterior influence.

Structuralism Structures are the non-neutral forces beyond our control. Agents cannot influence these structures and are simply pawns in the world. Structures affect people differently and can vary over time. Historically the idea of structuralism has been a Marxist one: Marx argued that history has progresses though various periods, from feudalism to global capitalism and then (ideally) to socialist utopia. As history has progressed, so have the structures which have defined these periods. Karl Marx: “Social structures (such as capitalism) can act to the detriment of the majority of individuals in society”. Louis Althusser identified 3 levels of society: political, economic and ideological. Each has its own dynamics and ideas. When each level reaches a ‘crisis point’ a revolution would take place. Structuralism was modified in the 1980s by Anthony Giddens who states that: structures don’t simply hold people back, but can act as preconditions for agency (i.e: one cannot have agency without structure). Structure has been created by agency and can enable and constraint, therefore one cannot have one without the other. Gidden’s Structuration Theory Both structure and agency are similar. Agents create structure (democracy, Parliament, globalisation). Yet agents cannot live without structure as they provide the basis for individual actions. The creation of structure leads to the creation of institutions which then act to constrain those in them. The pace of world structures doesn’t stop because individual agents do, they roll on regardless. Institutionalism Institutions are the structures of formal politics. They can be parliaments, parties, trading blocs, alliances, etc. Individual actors operate within these institutions. Institutions can provide: - A venue for debate, discussion, deliberation and decision. - Formal and informal rules about the game of politics. - A key device in the political process (only parliament can pass laws, scrutinise). - A guide on fashionable behaviour in politics. - “A stable pattern, valued, recurring pattern of behaviour” (Robert Goodwin). Institutions can shape political behaviour in certain ways. It will promote some behaviour over others, prioritise some interests and eventually eradicate any undesirable behaviour. As seen this doesn’t always work following the election of Donald Trump and success of UKIP, Golden Dawn, National Front and AfD.

Structures are not neutral, they will work in favour of the desirable interests, activities and behaviours of the time. Historical institutionalism: Decisions made at an earlier point in time can lock the institution onto a fixed trajectory. These norms, conventions can be difficult to overturn. It can continue even when using it can be a negative consequence (First Past the Post, etc). Actors in institutions In an institution, actors will have their own goals, desires, priorities. They will work for these through the mechanisms of the institution. Institutionalised actors will behave accordingly and will devise strategies to further their interests and fulfil their goals. Strategies which starkly diverge from the norm will be less likely to succeed. The institution funnels behaviour and the behaviour which conforms to the norms will be replicated through its success. Criticisms of institutionalism -

People aren’t able to behave in a free way. Institutions actually constrain more than they enable. Though it is very good at explaining stability and continuity, it fails to account for when change occurs. Colin Hay: “Change is the result of so-called ‘crisis moments’ at specific points”.

Behaviouralism Human agency/choice is diverse. The social world is made up of these actors with individual goals, desires and objectives. Behaviouralism seeks to argue that human free will is more important that any structural explanations. Interests Actors may have interests. If there is an interest in something, the actor will likely work harder for it. Interest is important to behaviouralism as it can predict behaviour and activity in the present and in the future. -

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Interests form a pivotal role in creation of groups. Some groups/parties may share similar interests. They provide a basis for claims about representation (doing something in the ‘national interest’). It can form the basis for conflict, cooperation and compromise (it is in the US’s interest to invade Saudi Arabia for oil, it is in Saudi’s interest to negotiate for peace, it is in both of their interest to exchange oil between them). Interest can provide clues to hidden power relations in society: in whose interest are decisions being made (House of Cards-like).

Interests and Rational Choice Theory Through using interests, political scientists can determine the political activity of people. Individuals tend to behave in routine, predictable ways and are easy to manipulate. When something is in that actor’s interest it becomes easier to determine and manipulate. Rational choice theory states that individuals simply have interests.

Interests aren’t fixed, they depend upon the context of the situation. Not everyone has the same interests if they are in the same situation. Human rational choice is based on materialist choices. They are made up by humans who are driven by emotion and irrational desires. Humans simply find rational reasons to justify their chosen action....