2020/06/07 by Tien‐Hui Chiang, Chiang, Tien-Hui
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Agency (philosophy) #Alchemy #Chinese culture #Context (archaeology) #Duality #Duality (order theory) #Economics #Epistemology #Law #Philosophy #Political science #Politics #Positive economics #Power (physics) #Psychology #Public relations #Scope (computer science) #Social Capital and Networks #Social and Cultural Dynamics #Social capital #Social environment #Social order #Social psychology #Social science #Sociology #Structure and agency #institutionalized context #school head #social alchemy #social capital
paper · open access · doi:10.26248/.v2020i0.787
published in University of Crete 2020, 161-176
openalex publication_date 2020/06/07 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/01
While duality highlights the interaction between structural constraints and agency, ability is defined as the core component in practicing creative actions, so that the influence of power on agency is largely ignored. Furthermore, the influence of social cultures is not taken into account by duality. This essay argues that social cultures constitute an institutionalized milieu, regulating the relationship between conduct and social rewards and, in turn, such an institutionalized rule comes to steer social members’ knowledgeability and ability. As a result, the practice of agency normally occurs within a scope predetermined by the institutionalized context. In order to secure personal gain, actors tend to comply with its rules, as evident in the utility of social capital, the acquisition of which can be conceptualized as an art of social alchemy in Chinese society.