The British sociologist Anthony Giddens called, in its 1984 book The Constitution OF Society published formulated the Strukturationstheorie, also theory of the Strukturation. This theory represents a basic theory and belongs to the group of the social theories.

The Strukturationstheorie describes the mutual relationship between structure and action, the duality of the structure.

Giddens tries two past entrances, the apparent contrasts represents to connect. On side the opinion that the society and/or the organization controls individual humans (objectivistic positions: Strukturalismus, functionalism). On the other hand the entrance of the subjectivism (Hermeneutik and interpretive beginnings), with which humans stand as a social participant in the center, which is however dominant structure.

Theory

Formalized rules in organizations are only limited behavior-steering, since they must be interpreted by the participants in enterprises. They permit thereby different ways of acting and from all involved ones are considered. Structures are therefore medium and result of social acting. The participants refer in their actions to this given structure and produce and/or reproduce them thereby. The circle closes - Giddens calls this duality of the structure.

As a consequence of the concept it is therefore considered also that only by the structure, which (social) develop systems.

Fundamental ideas

Term of the participant and the action

The participants are persons those due to memories and expectations act. They possess practical knowledge and routine knowledge over itself and the structure and/or the environment, which them surround. Further they have to reflect the ability over their own actions and from others to. It is expected by these other participants of the situation that they behave likewise.

The knowledge of the actions is incomplete and exhibits "„blind "“marks. Since it is not possible in a complex society to be all-comprehensively informed many actions have unconscious and/or not consequences originally aimed at. The result is the fact that the structure changes and so that again exerts influence on individual humans.

Term of the structure

The structure consists of rules and resources, which strengthen the interactive relations over space and time.

On the structure level the rules refer up:

• Constitution of sense (Signifikation). These are rules to the interpretation of which participants say and/or do. Examples: Symbols, myths, conceptions of the world

• Quite and obligations (authentication). They serve for sanctioning of social behavior. Example: legal institutions

• Political and economic institutions (rule).

'' Resources however refer up: ''

• allokative resources are abilities for the transformation of the rule over objects, goods or material factors. They deduce themselves from the rule of humans from nature.

• autoritative resources make the rule possible over persons and participants. The universal action medium is money and lends the authority. (Kieser 1993, S. 361ff)

The two latter kinds make possible to act only.

On the level of the interaction are the rules and resources: Communication, the practice of power and the evaluation of behavior.

Examples

Giddens states the following example: With learning a foreign language it is to be spoken the goal this as correctly as possible. Therefore one uses grammatical rules when speaking. This is the intended and actual goal of the learning. Unintentional consequence is however that one contributes thereby to the durability and spreading of this foreign language. The structure was produced and reproduced.

In our social structure waste paper and plastic garbage applied years long as waste materials and were disposed. Today one sees therein raw materials and/or further production resources which our following actions changed.

Criticism

• The definition of the terms is indefinitely, inaccurate and is partly contradictory specified. The Giddens theory is therefore relatively abstractly and understandable for the reader partly with difficulty.
• Giddens uses on the one hand terms from the Hermeneutik and/or the interpretive sociology, on the other hand from strukturalistischen and/or functionalistic research beginnings. Therefore Eklektizismus is accused to him.
• The work of Giddens is not easy therefore to read.
• A gradual summary would be desirable.
• There are hardly empirical work and/or findings.

Result

The Giddens theory supplies the first starting point for switching between Strukturalismus and theories of action. It is neither a finished nor user friendly concept. The Strukturationstheorie offers however a broader entrance to regenerate the problems of the social sciences and to link old and new approaches.

Literature

• Peter Walgenbach: Giddens ' theory of the structuring. In Alfred Kieser (Hrsg.): Organization theories. Kohl hammer, Stuttgart 1999, P. 355-376, ISBN 3-1701-7917-9
• Alfred Kieser, Peter Walgenbach: Organization. Poeschel, Stuttgart 2003, P. 62-64, ISBN 3-7910-2242-3
• local man, Sydow (Hrsg.):

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