The Future of Agency : Between Autonomy and Heteronomy

Harry F Dahms

ISBN 10: 1836089791 / ISBN 13: 9781836089797

Published by Emerald Publishing Limited Jan 2025, 2025

About this Item

Neuware - In this thought-provoking volume, leading scholars address the multifaceted concept of agency, dissecting its significance, applications, and challenges across various domains, and situate agency in changing socio-historical contexts in which individuals as members of larger groups try to reconcile guiding norms and values with the material conditions of their lives. From sociological analyses to political explorations, the chapters traverse a rich landscape of ideas. The volume's centerpiece (Part I) are two essays by lead authors Axel van den Berg, a prominent Canadian social theorist at McGill University in Montreal, and Emre Amasyali, a sociologist at Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI), along with responses by other prominent social theorists provide reactions to and assessments of the two pieces, with a reply to critics by the authors. The second and third parts do not address the concept of agency explicitly, but they do provide treatments of the larger context in which the phenomenon is situated. Part Two includes an analysis of the relevance of the category of social class via Erik Olin Wright's reception of Max Weber and a reconstruction of how the idea of a guaranteed minimum (or basic) income can be traced alongside the history of social theory, beginning with Hegel. Part Three reflect on political transformations that have manifested in the United States in recent years, which are having a bearing on the reality of agency, and on opportunities to create documentaries in order to relay social-theoretical ideas and concepts to larger audiences. The Future of Agency ignites intellectual curiosity, challenges assumptions, and redefines our understanding of human agency and its ever-evolving role in our complex world.

Seller Inventory # 9781836089797

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Future of Agency : Between Autonomy and Heteronomy
• Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited Jan 2025
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1836089791
• ISBN 13: 9781836089797
• Binding: Buch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 229W x 152H x 18D millimeters 229 millimeters width by 152 millimeters height by 18 millimeters depth
• Weight: 553 grams

About this title

Synopsis

In this thought-provoking volume, leading scholars address the multifaceted concept of agency, dissecting its significance, applications, and challenges across various domains, and situate agency in changing socio-historical contexts in which individuals as members of larger groups try to reconcile guiding norms and values with the material conditions of their lives.

From sociological analyses to political explorations, the chapters traverse a rich landscape of ideas. The volume’s centerpiece (Part I) are two essays by lead authors Axel van den Berg, a prominent Canadian social theorist at McGill University in Montreal, and Emre Amasyalı, a sociologist at Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI), along with responses by other prominent social theorists provide reactions to and assessments of the two pieces, with a reply to critics by the authors. The second and third parts do not address the concept of agency explicitly, but they do provide treatments of the larger context in which the phenomenon is situated. Part Two includes an analysis of the relevance of the category of social class via Erik Olin Wright’s reception of Max Weber and a reconstruction of how the idea of a guaranteed minimum (or basic) income can be traced alongside the history of social theory, beginning with Hegel. Part Three reflect on political transformations that have manifested in the United States in recent years, which are having a bearing on the reality of agency, and on opportunities to create documentaries in order to relay social-theoretical ideas and concepts to larger audiences.

The Future of Agency ignites intellectual curiosity, challenges assumptions, and redefines our understanding of human agency and its ever-evolving role in our complex world.

About the Author

Harry F. Dahms is Professor of Sociology, Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Social Justice, and Co-Chair of the Committee on Social Theory at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville. He is the editor of Current Perspectives in Social Theory and director of the International Social Theory Consortium.