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Cited by 1,213

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 3 of the 3 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

The “Actors” of Modern Society: The Cultural Construction of Social Agency

Meyer, John W., Jepperson, Ronald L.·2000·Sociological Theory
DOI 10.1111/0735-2751.00090
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Abstract

Much social theory takes for granted the core conceit of modern culture, that modern actors—individuals, organizations, nation states—are autochthonous and natural entities, no longer really embedded in culture. Accordingly, while there is much abstract metatheory about “actors” and their “agency,” there is arguably little theory about the topic. This article offers direct arguments about how the modern (European, now global) cultural system constructs the modern actor as an authorized agent for various interests via an ongoing relocation into society of agency originally located in transcendental authority or in natural forces environing the social system. We see this authorized agentic capability as an essential feature of what modern theory and culture call an “actor,” and one that, when analyzed, helps greatly in explaining a number of otherwise anomalous or little analyzed features of modern individuals, organizations, and states. These features include their isomorphism and standardization, their internal decoupling, their extraordinarily complex structuration, and their capacity for prolific collective action.

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Metadata

Authors
Meyer, J. W., & Jepperson, R. L.
Venue
Sociological Theory
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2000-03
Volume
18
Issue
1
Pages
100-120
ISSN
  • 0735-2751 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-9558
DOI
10.1111/0735-2751.00090
OpenAlex
W2049690329
Cited by
1,213
References
3
FWCI
22.36
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed

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