Structure and agency
Central sociological debate: do social structures (systems, institutions, inequality) determine behaviour (structuralism) or do individuals have agency (freedom to choose and resist)?
Real World
A working-class student attending an elite university faces structural barriers (cost, cultural capital) but exercises agency by applying — illustrating how both forces operate simultaneously, as Giddens argues.
Exam Focus
Avoid presenting structure and agency as binary opposites; examiners reward answers that show how both operate together in context.
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