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Cited by 190Critical Realism in SociologyContemporary Sociological Theory and PracticePhilosophy of Biology and Scientific Explanation

The DOI matches its Crossref record.

Beyond Agency

Fuchs, Stephan·2001·Sociological Theory
DOI 10.1111/0735-2751.00126
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Abstract

The reason why agency/structure and micro/macro debates remain unresolved is the bad essentialist habit of treating such pairs as opposite natural kinds. Once variation is allowed, agency and structure, or micro and macro, are temporary poles bracketing a continuum, with social entities moving along this continuum over time. Explaining these transformations from agency into structure, or micro into macro, and vice versa is the challenge for explanatory theory. This challenge is met by switching to a constructivist level of second-order observing. Then, agency and structure become variable devices or frames different observers might use to perform different sorts of cultural work.

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Research works printed but not linked: 31

  1. Alexander Jeffrey C., 1987, The Micro-Macro Link
  2. Black Donald, 1976, The Behavior of Law
  3. Blackmore Susan, 1999, The Meme Machine
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  21. Habermas Juergen, 1984, The Theory of Communicative Action, 2
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  24. Merton Robert K., 1973, The Sociology of Science
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  29. Spengler Oswald, 1923, Der Untergang des Abendlandes: Umrisse einer Morphologie der Weltgeschichte
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  31. Woodward Joan, 1965, Industrial Organization

Cited by

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Metadata

Authors
Fuchs, S.
Affiliations
University of Virginia
Venue
Sociological Theory
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2001-03
Volume
19
Issue
1
Pages
24-40
ISSN
  • 0735-2751 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-9558
DOI
10.1111/0735-2751.00126
OpenAlex
W4254643499
Cited by
190
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 14
FWCI
5.50
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
Sociological Theory (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Critical Realism in Sociology
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History and Philosophy of Science › Philosophy of Biology and Scientific Explanation
Keywords
structure and agency, micro and macro, constructivism, second-order observation, social entities, cultural work, explanatory theory, social change

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Beyond Agency. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1111/0735-2751.00126
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Fuchs, S. (2001). Beyond Agency. Sociological Theory. https://doi.org/10.1111/0735-2751.00126