Giddens lecture 2

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Giddens lecture 2

• Exploring structuration theory. Giddens and His
  Critics

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What is structuration theory and how does it work?

• Basic domain of social scientific study is
  neither the experience of the individual, nor the
  existence of any form of societal totality, but
  social practices. Through social activities
  people reproduce the actions that make these
  practices possible.
• Structures are not the same as systems - rather
  'structure' refers to the rules and
  resources,which are properties of social systems
  that allow people to transform social relations
• 'Structure' therefore is a set of enabling
  conditions which allow social transformation to
  take place.

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System

• System refers to the relations between people
  that are organised (and reproduced) into regular
  social practices.
• It is the repetition of the acts of individual
  agents which reproduces the structure.
• This means that there is a social structure -
  traditions, institutions, moral codes, and
  established ways of doing things but it also
  means that these can be changed when people start
  to ignore them, replace them, or reproduce them
  differently.
• Language is a good example of this process, but
  also different kinds of social ritual and
  'discipline'/or inculcation.

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Dual structuration

• Society is embedded in, and produced out of,
  social action. Neither one entity - 'agency'
  exists without the other - structure'.
• Agents and structures are not two independently
  given sets of phenomena, a dualism, but represent
  a duality.
• These are in constant motion, constantly
  impacting upon, shaping and reshaping each
  other,and this occurs through

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Instantiation

• In structuration theory, social rules and rituals
  are produced and reproduced at the point of
  action because
• Structure is 'internal' to activity structure
  does not have an existence independently of
  people's conception and experiences of social
  structures.
• Thus, structure has a 'virtual existence and
  this not strictly 'ontological' i.e. a question
  of consciousness rather it is a combination of
• A traces in the memories of the people who draw
  on the rules and resources that constitute it
• B exists only at the instances in which the
  rules and resources are actually being employed
  in the activities of people - like right now in
  this lecture room.
•  i.e. the educational system does not inhabit a
  space outside of all the activities of the people
  that make up this structure of learning and
  research.

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Virtual existence and ontological trust

• If structure has only a virtual existence, how
  can there be any durability or stability to
  social practices, ideas and systems?
• Giddens distinguishes between the 'virtual
  existence of social structures and the
  observable (real) existence of institutions
• Social systems and institutions refer to the
  visible patterns of social relations that have
  become a routine feature of society by being
  continually reproduced in human behaviour.
• Giddens argues that the viability of social
  continuity lies with the existence of
  'ontological security' or a basic element of
  trust among members.
• When systems break down, anxiety, anger or
  disorder may occur (trust relations economy, the
  market, ecological system, bureaucracies, etc).
•         Trust an element of modern societies but
  increasingly important as social relations are
  stretched across time and space in globalised,
  post-modern societies.

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Problems with Giddens theory

• Giddens is ambiguous as to how the 'instances' of
  social creation and recreation become enduring
  and viable WITHOUT just hardening into
  bureaucracies and institutions.
• The ghost of dualism still breathes over Giddens'
  shoulder. It has been argued that Giddens has
  not so much transcended dualisms but renamed them
  - social integration (the micro-level integration
  of social relations) and system integration (the
  large-scale integration/patterning of social
  systems)
• The theory of the 'dialectic of control' borrows
  heavily from both Marxism and Foucault, but lacks
  their empirical or theoretical depth. (Marx
  class and historical materialism Foucault on
  power, sexuality, crime, reason)
• The idea of 'choice' avoids the enduring problem
  of coercion and constraint, and, unlike Foucault,
  he doesn't have a get out clause by formulating
  an alternative theory of power