THEORIES OF AGENCY IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL AND CULTURAL STUDIES: ANTHONY GIDDENS, ULRICH BECK AND BRUNO LATOUR
THEORIES OF AGENCY IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL AND CULTURAL STUDIES: ANTHONY GIDDENS, ULRICH BECK AND BRUNO LATOUR

Summary/Abstract: The article expands on contemporary theories in the related fields of identity and subjectivity, particularly on theories of agency, which see the individual in more pragmatic and action oriented terms than theories of structure, still prevalent in cultural and literary interpretation. The three theoreticians discussed at length here have been chosen from different backgrounds (British, German and French) to illustrate different (yet distinctly European) views of how the individual manages to make sense of himself and the world around him. The article discusses in relevant detail the main concepts and theories elaborated by Anthony Giddens, Ulrich Beck and Bruno Latour- theories that can be used in literary and cultural studies as more appropriate tools for the understanding of the contemporary self and the issues surrounding identity.

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