In sociological theory, the difference between structure and agency (action) is that a structure is an enduring system of organizations within societies and agency is active role of individuals who make up and act upon those structures. A structure is independent of those who make it up. It is focused on how society creates individuals. Agency is focused on how individuals create societies through their independent actions and freewill. Agency and structures are comparable to a two-way street in which it can be argued that they can both exert some influence over the other. In The Blackwell Dictionary of Sociology by Allan Johnson, agency and structures are defined as centrally important to studying sociology. Structures within societies may impose some restraints on individuals, and conversely, agents may act independently in the creation of structures. Examples of structures would include religion, social class, or family. Examples of agency may include individuals acting out against those structures, such as a child refusing to respect their parents by not doing as they were told. Another example of agency could include individuals reaffirming the social norms, such …show more content…
The functionalist perspective comes from Emile Durkheim and Talcott Parsons. It focuses on the system of interconnected parts within society, what they do, and what they contribute to society. This perspective views the different parts of society as independent, functional requirements of the society within which it operates. Karl Marx developed the Conflict Perspective. This perspective looks at the unequal struggle for resources between competing members of societies. This rivalry leads to differing social classes, such as the ruling class and the subordinate class. The conflict theory looks at power distributions, the role of class in societies, distributions of wealth, and how these things affect