The Social Theorist Anthony Giddens Has Argued That "Social Structures

question 95

Multiple Choice

The social theorist Anthony Giddens has argued that "social structures are both constituted by human agency, and yet at the same time are the very medium of this constitution." In other words, individual interactions produce social structures, but at the same time those social structures limit, constrain, and direct individual actions. This means that Giddens believes that:

• A) our clothing, our speech, our gestures, our cars, our homes, our friends, and our travels are all part of our presentation of self and determine our socioeconomic status.
• B) there is nothing an individual can do to change systems of structured inequality.
• C) all social structures-including systems of inequality-are constructed from the building blocks of everyday interaction, which is independent of structure.
• D) cultural capital shapes the perceptions others form about a person.
• E) the structural perspective and the interactionist perspective are not mutually exclusive; structure shapes interaction, and interaction generates structure.

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Definitions:

Collective Action

The collective effort made by a group aiming to improve their position and accomplish a shared goal.

Faculty Association

An organization representing the professional and labor interests of faculty members in colleges and universities.

Pensions

A fixed sum paid regularly to a person following retirement from service, typically funded during the individual's working life.

Canada

A country in North America known for its vast landscapes, multicultural population, and as a member of the Commonwealth with a parliamentary democracy.