Understanding agency
Subtitle: social theory and responsible action
By: Barry Barnes.
Publisher: Sage
Published: 2000
Place of publication: London; Thousand Oaks, Calif
Language: eng
Number of pages: 163
Subjects: Responsibility; Agent (Philosophy); Sociology -- Philosophy
Description: "In this book, one of the leading commentators in the field argues that social theory is moving in the wrong direction in its reflections on human freedom and autonomy. It has borrowed notions of 'agency' and 'choice' from everyday discourse, but increasingly it puts a misconceived individualistic gloss upon them. Against this, Barnes unequivocally identifies human beings as social agents in a profound sense, and emphasises the vital importance of their sociability. Notions of 'agency', 'freedom' and 'choice' have to be understood by reference to their role in communicative interaction; they are key components of the discourse through which human beings identify each other, and have effects upon each other, as social agents."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographic references (p. [156]-160) and index.