How Structure and Agency Shape Life and Lived Experiences

This essay explores the role of structure and agency in shaping one's life and lived experiences. It discusses the impact of social determinants, racism, and ideologies on individuals, using the case study of Malcolm X.

How do structure and agency
shape a life and lived
experiences

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
The role of prevailing structure and agencies within a nation is wide towards shaping one’s
life and lived experiences. These all are working as assisting factor that motivates the person
regarding adherence of some particular ideology. The positive and negative way of living is also
depending upon the same where the one who gets the support focused over developmental
activities which will be further beneficial for society and vice versa (Banerjee, 2017). This
clearly depicts that the growth of a nation and its individual depends on their structural ability of
handling diversity along with support of existing agencies in same. The main aim of this essay is
also to ascertain the role of structure and agency in shaping life and lived experience of some
person. The one who consider in this regard is Malcolm X.
This essay covers about the instances of Malcolm X life along with lived experiences,
relations of structure/agency in the formation of a multi-ethnic biography and linking of theory
to case and lived experiences.
MAIN BODY
The whole life and lived experiences of Malcolm X was dependent upon the aspect of Fanon
theory. This theory speaks about the development of neuroses through observation of social
cultures or features. Further, this will be effectively understood from the below described
perspectives of Malcolm X life and lived experiences.
Malcolm X is not the original name. Originally, the name is Malcolm Little whereas the
Muslim name is el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, (conceived May 19, 1925, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
and died on the date February 21, 1965, New York, New York). As an African American leader
and noticeable figure in the Nation of Islam articulated ideas of race pride and dark patriotism in
the mid-1960s. After his death, the broad appreciation ascertained by his biography—The
Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965) and made him a philosophical admirer, mainly among
black minority (Malcolm X, 2020).
The famous personality analysed here i.e. Malcolm X was born in Nebraska. At the very
early stage of his childhood Malcolm moved to Lansing, Michigan with their family. While
Malcom attained the age of six his father who was the leader and supporter of dark patriot died in
the car accident. It was assumed that death did not occurred due to the accident. It was murder by
the whites. The family of Malcolm X was poor and after the death of the father the situation
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become more worsen. The family totally dependent upon cooking for taking of their members.
After happening and occurrence of this, they focused over ascertainment of protection in the year
1939. In this regard, Malcolm and his family was sent to the shelters to live their future life.
Malcolm had the great expectations from himself. But the teachers did not promote the same.
They said to Malcolm that after completion of his education he become carpenter rather than
some legal advisor. This instance had the great impact over the career of Malcolm and he
finished the education at very earlier point without getting the best which will be helpful in
future for further career development. Afterwards, Malcolm moved to the detention home of
Michigan for spent time with other relatives who were more established in nature. This was the
time when the whole life of Malcolm changed. Here, he indulged in the criminal activities in the
years of his high school. He recognised from the hair colour in the locality where he operated
many negative activities such drug dealing, leader of the cheating group and road trickster
(Fleetwood, 2016).
These activities transformed the Malcolm from where he goes to jail for robbery in year
1946 to 1952. This was the point when he joined the Nation of Islam which was the African
American movement that integrates the two aspects i.e. black patriotism and Islam. The main
reason behind the joining of this movement was his brother who was also in jail at that time.
From the influence of this movement, Malcolm changed the lifestyle where he left the
consumption of pork along with quit smoking and betting as all these things are not allowed
under the religion of Islam along with dietary restrictions placed by the Nation of Islam. From
this time, he started to improve his learning. He used to the reading of books in jail library and
along with remembering of dictionary to improve vocabulary. In this regard, he further improved
his forensic skills through taking part in the debate classes (Yap and Yu, 2016). This was the
point and the movement for which he changed the name and on the place of little put the letter X.
The main reason behind the changing of name was matching of his family name little with white
people community. After the release from the jail, he started the promotion of movement with
full power for ascertaining large impact and joining of the large number of people. Afterwards,
he met with the person from which very much influenced named Elijah Muhammad in 1952
within Chicago. This was the point from where he started to build the temples in the different
states like New York, Philadelphia, and Boston and in urban areas in the South. Further, to
support the working of Muhamad and movement, he stated the newspaper and named as
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Muhammad speaks. The main aim with this work was to influence the large number of people
and sell the copies of newspaper to large number of people by each and everyone in the
community (Lai and Gong, 2016).
Malcolm rose quickly to turn into the Boston Temple No. 11 that was established by them;
he was later compensated by means of the position of minister in regards to Temple No. seven
within Harlem, the major and loftiest temple within the country behind the Chicago HQs. seeing
his skill as well as ability, Elijah Muhammad had a rare friendship intended for Malcolm, Named
him the National Representative of the Nation of Islam, 2d in rank to Muhammad himself. In
case of Malcolm's lieutenancy, the country asserted a contribution of five lakh members. The
actual number of persons diverse, but the effect of the organization, turns aside from side to side
the open character of Malcolm X, in each case talented to be a focus for attracting various
numbers of persons. At the same time as an eloquent speaker, an attractive personality, and an
unlimited controller, Malcolm X converse the reserved annoyance, displeasure, and sharpness of
African Americans throughout the important era of the social liberties progress as of 1955 in the
direction of 1965. He lectured within the city of Harlem as well as talked at important colleges,
such as, Harvard University in addition to the University of Oxford. His sharp eagerness,
intelligent, and passionate extremism complete him an imposing forecaster of American culture.
He furthermore reprimanded the benchmark social liberties expansion, testing Martin Luther
King, Jr's. Central data of amalgamation and quietness (Nguyen, Hamid and Renshaw, 2016).
Malcolm competed that ordinary preference to be seated within a café otherwise even to cast a
ballot were not the greater problems and required to emphasis in excess of more important
problems like trustworthiness, freedom and dark personality. At the same time as contrasting to
King's scheme of quietness, general insubordination, as well as redemptive nuisance, Malcolm
confident his devotees to protect themselves "by any and all conceivable means." His upsetting
scrutinizes of the "purported Negro" provide the academic ascertainment to the Black Power as
well as dark cognizance enlargements within the US during the late 1960s and '70s. From side to
side the effects of the country of Islam, Malcolm X helped by means of altering the conditions
followed in the direction of allude to African Americans as of "Negro" and "shaded" on the way
to "dark" and "Afro-American."
The year in which Malcolm left the nation was march 1964. Afterwards, in the next
month he established his new Muslim Mosque Inc. He also accepted the Sunni Islam after the
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visit to Mecca and took the name as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. He visited two times in Africa in
year 1964 and on the second visit he created the organisation of African Unity. This had the main
purpose related to promote African solidarity and financial events. In the year 1965, he
established the organisation named of Afro-American Unity. This had the main purpose related
to internationalize the dilemma of dark Americans and improve awareness among the people to
focus over the movement of human rights instead of social liberties. There were many
threatening calls come at that period and on February 21 1965 he was killed while talking in the
Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. The three individuals from the Nation of Islam were involved in
this killing of Malcom (Patrick, 2016).
Now, it is cleared from the historical information of the Malcolm X life and lived experience
that there was great impact of social aspects and features on the happening of aspects in his life
from very early childhood to till the date of death. He was not appreciated by the teachers due to
which ended soon his formal education. This social behaviour changed the whole life from
where he indulged in the criminal activities and afterwards prisoned for 10 years. The another
instance that proves the aspect of theory about the impact of social determinants on one’s
individual life and thinking was the joining of Nation of Islam after discussion with his brother
who was also in same prison. By following this movement, he further declined the consumption
of pork, quit smoking and gambling as these were against to the phenomenon’s of community
and religion of Islam. The another instance that supported the theory of social determinants
impact over an individual was meeting of Malcolm with Elijah Muhammad. This was the point
from where he starts promoting Elijah Muhammad ideologies. In this regard, founded the
Nation’s newspaper named as Muhammad speaks. All these aspects have the clear depiction that
the role of social aspects is huge in building of the future, ideologies and career. Further, this
bond between the two was demolished in future when Malcolm noticed the violation of the
moral code of Nation by Muhammad’s. So, when the social determinants start mismatching the
parties separated from each other and followed the different paths (Piran, 2016). The theory of
Fanon is quite significant in the direction of depicting the fact that how the ideology, culture and
characteristics of society impacted the behaviour of different individuals in the manner where
they able to find attachment from their own similar thinking’s and features.
This is also very true that the impact of structure and agency is direct over the life and lived
experiences of a person. But this aspect has direct relation with the point of theory because both
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are the part of society which were formulated on the basis social thoughts. The point of racism
on the basis of colour was huge in US and the same reflects within the structure and agencies of
nation. This was the reason that from the very starting number of problems were faced by the
family of Malcolm. Father of Malcom also quite possible the victim of murder by whites. Even
after doing good in study, teachers disregarded the capability and said he would be carpenter in
future instead of lawyer. Such racism changes the further life of Malcolm from where he ended
soon his formal education and took the path of criminal activities. Afterwards, he was prisoned
for 10 years in robbery case. Now, from the point he done everything to oppose the aspect of
racism on the basis of colour (Rosa and Mensah, 2016). He joined the Nation of Islam which was
an African American movement that combined elements of Islam with black nationalism.
Further, he met with Elijah Muhammad start promoting his ideologies. After the separation from
Elijah Muhammad, he addressed the organisational of African Unity and in 1965 founded the
organisation of Afro-American Unity as a secular vehicle to internationalize the plight of black
Americans and developing the campaigns at worldwide level regarding movement from civil
rights to human rights. The whole life and the lived experiences of Malcolm was revolving
around the structure and agencies of US where racism exist on the basis of colour and every
aspect was dominated by the whites in nation (Rylko-Bauer and Farmer, 2016).
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from the above report that there is huge impact of structure and
agency behind the development of one’s overall life and experiences. It was clearly visible from
the case of Malcolm X where presence of racism in US on the basis of colour drove his path
against the same. Afterwards, everything happened in his life was related to prove the point that
black citizens also have the same rights as possessed by others within a nation.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Banerjee, S., 2017. Activism and agency in India: Nurturing resistance in the tea plantations.
Taylor & Francis.
Fleetwood, J., 2016. Narrative habitus: Thinking through structure/agency in the narratives of
offenders. Crime, Media, Culture. 12(2). pp.173-192.
Lai, C., Li, Z. and Gong, Y., 2016. Teacher agency and professional learning in cross-cultural
teaching contexts: Accounts of Chinese teachers from international schools in Hong
Kong. Teaching and Teacher Education. 54. pp.12-21.
Nguyen, L. C., Hamid, M. O. and Renshaw, P., 2016. English in the primary classroom in
Vietnam: students’ lived experiences and their social and policy implications. Current
Issues in Language Planning. 17(2). pp.191-214.
Patrick, R., 2016. Living with and responding to the'scrounger'narrative in the UK: exploring
everyday strategies of acceptance, resistance and deflection. Journal of Poverty and
Social Justice. 24(3). pp.245-259.
Piran, N., 2016. Embodied possibilities and disruptions: The emergence of the experience of
embodiment construct from qualitative studies with girls and women. Body Image. 18.
pp.43-60.
Rosa, K. and Mensah, F. M., 2016. Educational pathways of Black women physicists: Stories of
experiencing and overcoming obstacles in life. Physical Review Physics Education
Research. 12(2). p.020113.
Rylko-Bauer, B. and Farmer, P., 2016. Structural violence, poverty, and social suffering. The
Oxford handbook of the social science of poverty, pp.47-75.
Sword-Daniels, V. and et. al., 2018. Embodied uncertainty: living with complexity and natural
hazards. Journal of Risk Research. 21(3). pp.290-307.
Yap, M. and Yu, E., 2016. Operationalising the capability approach: developing culturally
relevant indicators of indigenous wellbeing–an Australian example. Oxford
Development Studies. 44(3). pp.315-331.
Online
Malcolm X. 2020. [Online]. Available Through: < https://www.malcolmx.com/biography/ >
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