LC473 Sociology Report: The Influence of Structure and Agency

This report, prepared for the LC473 course, delves into the intricate relationship between social structure and individual agency and their combined influence on human behavior within society. It explores how cultural factors, particularly race and ethnicity, shape individual experiences and attitudes. The report examines these concepts through the lens of a personal narrative, illustrating how structural factors like workplace discrimination based on ethnicity and race, as well as agency factors such as individual perceptions and biases, impact a person's life. The analysis draws on sociological concepts and relevant literature to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of social interactions and their consequences. The report concludes by emphasizing the significant impact of race and ethnicity on individual behavior and the importance of understanding these dynamics in a given society.

LC473 making sense of society

CONTENTS
Contents...........................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Cultural factors and its influence on human behaviour..........................................................3
How structure and agency factor impact on person life.........................................................3
Type of structure and agency factors......................................................................................3
The structure factors that influence his life was-:..................................................................4
The agency factors that influence his life was-:.....................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Race and ethnicity are interrelated concepts. Ethnicity termed out as culture identity of a
group that is based on shared ancestry, culture traditions and language etc. On the other hand,
race is termed put as physical characteristics such as skin, hair and bone. In social science agency
is termed out as capacity of individual to act independently and to make their own free choices.
On the other hand, structure defined as those components that influence religion, religion,
gender, ethnicity and custom etc. Furthermore, report will outlines the ways in which structure
and agency can influence the person life majorly.
MAIN BODY
Cultural factors and its influence on human behaviour.
Cross culture psychology is a kind of psychology factor that defines that how cultural
factors influence behaviour of human. In addition to this, Naz, Gregory and Bahu, (2019)
stated that universal, cultural difference can lead to surprising difference in how an individual
think, feel and act. In addition to this, culture plays vital role that shapes the society and country.
Ethnicity and race both are the components that affect culture and this influence behaviour of an
individual. As per the view of Eriksen, (2019) stated that cultural factor comprised of set of
values and ideologies that highly affects the group of individuals.
How structure and agency factor impact on person life.
Agency in social science, agency is termed out as capacity of individuals that act
independently and to make their own free choices. On the other hand, stated that structure
defined as component that includes social class, religion, gender, customs and ethnicity etc.
These both are the components that impacts the personal life of an individual that face the issues
of ethnicity and race etc. In addition to this, Berta, (2019) stated that relationship of social
structure to individual and collective agency that is central to sociology from the outset.
Type of structure and agency factors
I was working in an organization where there was many people who belong to different
culture and background. One of my friend belong to different culture. As a sociology students
John has become interested in the different components that influence people identities and
behaviours over time. Thus, John was thinking about the race and ethnicity. Hence, ethnicity
refers to national background with help of which person can be identified (Gramann, Floyd and
Saenz, 2019). For example- John identifies himself as ethnically part Jewish, part Italian and part

Mexican. On the other hand, race is defined as social construct that is mainly associated with
colour of skin and other physical features that overlaps with identity. Hence, John identifies
himself as white because most of people perceive him, but some also assumes him as Latina too.
The structure factors that influence his life was-:
Impact on behaviours- John starts thinking different ways as race and ethnicity influence the
behaviour of people towards him. If their race and ethnicity have historically given the advantage
within particular society. At the working place, John feel discriminated on the basis of his
ethnicity as he feels cautious, suspicious and mistrusting of dominant society in which they use
to exist. He was discriminated on the basis of pays and rewards. It affects his behaviours with
other. He feels negative and frustrated and this impact his working of the enterprise.
Impact on attitudes- At the workplace he feel discriminated on the basis of hiring, firing, pay
and benefits. Thus, he also finds complexity in understanding the things as belongs from
different racial and ethnicity. As per the view of Villanueva and Wilson, (2019) stated that
socio-economic status can be termed out as widely recognised as comprising diverse components
that operates at across different levels. Also, socialization and stereotyping processes can be
defined as highly significant that determines the components in explaining racial and ethnic
inequalities.
Hence, it can be stated that division among genders, races and ethnicities often existed in
the workplace. Diversity is good for business as there are range of employees with varied
backgrounds that bring different ideas and enables an employer to appeal different parts of the
marketplace. John feels unfavourable due his personal characteristics associated with race. He
experiences that 11% of the UK population are facing issue of ethnic minority and future
workforce will be racially and culturally diverse and progressive employers recognise that it
makes hood business to understand and also grows his pool of talent. However, Villanueva and
Wilson, (2019) stated that law forbids the discrimination on the basis of employment, hiring,
firing, pay and benefits. Thus, employer may execute the policy that applies to every individual
in regardless of ethnicity, race or colour. By working at workplace he feel discriminated due to
differentiate national origin. Also, no individuals can be denied equal employment opportunities
because of birthplace, culture, ancestry and characteristics common to specific ethnic group.

The agency factors that influence his life was-:
Most of the people make comment on the people who are belongs to the minority ethnicity.
This thing represent the individual person on the basis of traditions and religion which is
followed by them. These people can be identified on the basis of their rituals and traditions that
are followed in religion or based on their ethnicity. These thing define the difference and
similarities in between different people and group of people. As per the above statement people
used to judge of identify the people on the basis of religion. This is also similar for people while
they are judged on the basis of their skin colour. People mostly judge other people based on their
race (Naz, Gregory and Bahu, 2019). This is common process where people judge the identity of
people based on their appearance, traditions that are followed by them and their race. Each
person have some limitation that provide then identity in international market. For example
people are identified by their gender, age, social identity, ethnicity and area they are belongs to.
This is how appearance of individual person is identified in society based on the information that
can be observed in them (Gramann, Floyd and Saenz, 2019). The social life of the people is
mostly get affected by these factors that are used by the people to develop image of a person in
society. This can sometimes improve motivation of the people in society and sometime this also
can demotivate people in society. These is not always good to judge and identified people by the
information they are carrying together.
As per the different people role of ethnicity and race is different. Their thinking affect
their mentality that how they are identifying people and what aspects they are considering for
people who lives in society (Eriksen, 2019). Racism is one of the most common example of this
issue where people use to identify people based on their skin colour. This is completely inhuman
to differentiate people based on their sin ton. This is how people usually hurt other people. This
condition sometimes considered as unintentional and sometimes intentionally people hurt people
by making racism comments. This process also affect the process which is used to identify the
identity of individual person in society. It also lead the way how people will be able to make
conversation with these people on the basis of process which they have used to analyse the
identity of people (Berta, 2019). This is considerably considered as result of the agency that how
to judge that who we are and how people are liking or disliking personality of people on basis of
their race and ethnicity. These are some social barriers that are faced by people due to perception
of people that is completely based on the ethnicity and race of people. This can affect the people

how th human behaviour can affect the way to make image of some according to their visual
appearance in society. Due to these always people from minority community face issues and
pressure from majority groups. This is important to make some changes in the aspects which are
used to identify the identity of people in society.
CONCLUSION
Based on the above report it can be summarized that sociology of race and ethnicity is a
large and vibrant subfield within sociology under which researchers and theorists put their major
focus on the social, political, and economic relations. Race and ethnicity are the crucial aspect
that impact the behaviour of individuals highly. This is term that aids to interact with race and
ethnicity in a given society, region or community. The present report has outlined the
components in ways of which structure and agency can influence the person life majorly.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Berta, P., 2019. Materializing difference: consumer culture, politics, and ethnicity among
Romanian Roma. University of Toronto Press.
Eriksen, T.H., 2019. The epistemological status of the concept of ethnicity. Anthropological
Notebooks. 25(1).
Gramann, J.H., Floyd, M.F. and Saenz, R., 2019. Outdoor recreation and Mexican American
ethnicity: A benefits perspective. In Culture, conflict, and communication in the wildland-
urban interface (pp. 69-84). Routledge.
Naz, S., Gregory, R. and Bahu, M., 2019. Addressing issues of race, ethnicity and culture in CBT
to support therapists and service managers to deliver culturally competent therapy and
reduce inequalities in mental health provision for BAME service users. the Cognitive
Behaviour Therapist. 12.
Villanueva, A. and Wilson, K.S., 2019, June. Examining the Role of Ethnicity and Acculturation
in Physical Activity and Resistance Training among Asian Americans. In JOURNAL OF
SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY (Vol. 41, pp. S88-S89). 1607 N MARKET ST, PO
BOX 5076, CHAMPAIGN, IL 61820-2200 USA: HUMAN KINETICS PUBL INC.
349.ultural empow349erment. Journal of Business and Technical, 2019