Define Giddens’s duality of structure. Explain how concepts such as rules, resources, structure and agency play into this definition.
What will be an ideal response?
The individual and society form an interdependent duality that he terms the duality of structure. By this Giddens means that social structures are both the “medium and outcome” of the practices they organize. Giddens defines structure as rules and resources drawn upon by individuals “in the production and reproduction of social action” (Giddens 1984:19). rules are defined as “techniques or generalizable procedures applied in the enactment/reproduction of social practices” (ibid.:21). Resources refer to “‘the capabilities of making things happen,’ of bringing about particular states of affairs” (Giddens 1981:170). The significance of Giddens’s notion of the duality of structure lies in his attempt to overcome the dualism that plagues social theory, the divide between subjectivist/individualist and objectivist/ collectivist approaches that, in fostering either/or views of social life, presents only half of the story.
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Which of the following statements is not true regarding gender and the workplace?
a. Women entrepreneurs are starting small businesses at a faster rate than men. b. Women prefer organizations that value interdependence and collaboration. c. Some women feel they must leave unsupportive organizations to achieve satisfaction and growth. d. Women prefer work environments that value independence and self-sufficiency.
Those who possess a sociological imagination see connections between social forces of time and place and personal biography
Indicate whether the statement is true or false
The independent variable is the one that
a. is influenced by another variable. b. may influence another variable. c. is not included in the experiment. d. applies only to the control group.
In political speeches about the poor, those who are believed to deserve assistance are often termed the:
a.) handicapped. b.) mentally challenged. c.) working poor. d.) nonworking poor.