Hi
I agree with Mairian that extreme caution is required in using the
concept of agency too freely. As she points out, the ability to
exercise agency is not evenly distributed and disabled people in
particular are often much less free to re-invent themselves or re-write
their own narratives (in Giddens' terms). Children 'as social actors' is
useful only in the context of the stages on which they act (both adult
and children's worlds) and the available scripts. Disabled children
often get the bit parts - not necessarily 'walk-on' :-).
However, individual and collective agency are very important, and a
great deal of work on disability activism and the disabled peoples'
movement illustrates this. Where would we be without it? I also agree
with Glenn that life his/her/stories are a particularly good way of
accessing that (but then I have a vested interest).
Agency has been most useful for me as a relational concept - in
relation to structures (it seems fairly meaningless in isolation?).
Disability is, in a sense, exactly what happens when people try to
exercise agency within a disabling environment. There are many
useful questions arising from this relation (both research questions
and political questions). In general terms...
'When people try to do X what barriers do they come up against?'
But then, I suppose then you end up back where we started - with
our old friend the social model ;-)
Date sent: Wed, 03 May 2000 15:04:57 +0100
Subject: Human agency...& disability
From: Alison Cocks <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Send reply to: Alison Cocks <[log in to unmask]>
>
>
> Hello
>
> I am thrilled to see the discussion about agency, a concept I have been
> tussling with !!
>
> Mark Sherry refers to the work of EP Thompson - any chance of a full
> reference please?
>
> In my work I am exploring the use of agency within childhood sociology and
> where this fits in with research into disabled childhoods. I have found it
> difficult to track down the origins of 'agency' and also very specific
> definitions. I have found the way Giddens has used the idea of agency as a
> pivotal concept within structuration theory to be useful.
>
> however, there are a number of concerns I have about agency and wonder if
> anyone could enlighten me!
>
> 1. the definitions 'Actor' and 'Agent' seem to be the same - however
> surely an actor follows a script, whereas agent, to me anyway, implies
> degrees of choice, based on experience and personal preference.
>
> 2. Giddens identifies varying levels of agentic consciousness. ranging
> from sub-conscious to motivated. I suppose my concern is that within all
> of this there is the implication that an indiviual possesses the 'ability'
> to employ agency. Thus opening up the way for some (not all, possibly
> none?!) to mis-use this concept to create a hierarchy based on 'ability',
> 'completeness' etc..
>
> 3. Childhood sociology applied the concept of agency in establishing
> itself within academia, however is this an appropriate concept in
> exploring life as a disabled child? Following Marian's message and
> thinking about the risk of relational models 'muddying the waters' could
> disability studies learn from the way in which childhood sociology has
> adopted/adapted agency as a principal concept?
>
> I realise that perhaps these questions are simplistic and do not
> necessarily move the discussion forward but I am only at the beginning of
> exploring this myself......
>
>
>
> Alison Cocks
> PhD student
> Department of Sociology
> University of Surrey
> GU2 7XH
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> Alison Cocks
> PhD Student
> Sociology Department
> University of Surrey
> Guildford
> GU2 7XH
>
> 01483 873961
Best Wishes
Mark Priestley
Disability Research Unit
University of Leeds
LEEDS
LS2 9JT
UK
Tel: +44 113 2334417/2334418
Fax: +44 113 2334415
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/sociology/dru/dru.htm
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