Critical approaches and the legacy of the agent/structure debate in international relations

Abstract

This article examines the significance of the concept of agency for the project of critical theory as defined by Robert Cox. Even if numerous scholars recognize the importance of agency, very few have managed to set up an agenda that uses this notion in productive ways. I argue that this failure largely stems from the desire to present power as a structural phenomenon. If we see power as embedded in the very structure of society, it becomes difficult to see how social forces can escape the inherent tendencies imposed by structures. For this reason, the issue of social change has continued to elude critical theory making it difficult to open up space for an approach based on agency. Against structural conceptions of power, I present an agent-based conception of power which can serve to contextualize international relations in different terms. By presenting power in terms of practice, I argue, one can better overcome the reifying gaze of positivism.

Italian municipalities and the politics of financial derivatives: Rethinking the Foucauldian perspective

“…This triadic conceptualization of institutional construction reveals a paradox that becomes prolific for empowering purposes. When agents create new institutions, these institutions do not simply constrain other actors, but enable them to experience imperatives in multiple ways (Knafo, 2010;Konings, 2010). As the following sections demonstrate, this aspect is fundamental to comprehend how Italian neoliberal forces exerted power by constructing market-oriented institutions.…”

“…It does so through an agency-centred perspective that returns the dimension of power to the level of historical actors, their conflicts and the institutions mediating agential interaction (Knafo, 2010;Konings, 2010). In so doing, the study advances a conceptual framework that is more sensitive than the Foucauldian one to the actual politics that shape financialization in distinct institutional environments.…”

Derivatives and the financialisation of the Italian state

“…To operationalise this analytical shift towards the enabling character of financial expansion, this article draws on critical studies in IPE (Knafo 2010;Konings 2010b; and deploys an agency-centred approach that conceptualises human relations as an interactive field in which individuals relate to one another through the mediation of constantly renegotiated institutions. 6 In this context, key social forces shape the institutional framework to leverage their actions in a structural manner.…”

Financial Cultures and Crisis Dynamics

“…To rectify such limitations, the chapter has aimed at bringing agency back to uncover the conflictual relations shaping the use of derivatives in the Italian context. To do so, it has drawn on insights from Political Marxism (Knafo 2002(Knafo , 2010(Knafo , 2013 and Critical Institutionalism (Konings 2008(Konings , 2010b(Konings , 2011 with the objective of emphasizing how inter-subjective meanings not only influence actors' identities but also enable them to act.…”

“…Political Marxism (Knafo 2002(Knafo , 2010(Knafo , 2013 and Critical Institutionalism (Konings 2008(Konings , 2010b(Konings , 2011, this work conceives social construction as a fluid phenomenon in which historical agents interact with each other through the mediation of continuously renegotiated practices. In this historicized framework, people are seen as exerting power by exploiting extant materialities and meanings in the attempt to enhance their positions over others.…”