The Varieties of Agency

Varieties of agency refer to different ways individuals or entities can act or influence within systems. Personal agency is when people make choices based on their free will. Structural agency considers how social structures, like culture or laws, shape or limit those choices. Collective agency involves groups acting together to achieve common goals, such as social movements. Digital or virtual agency relates to actions in online spaces. Understanding these types helps us see how individual actions interact with larger societal forces, highlighting the complex ways people and groups influence their worlds and navigate opportunities and constraints.