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Agency Across the Life Course

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Handbook of the Life Course

Part of the book series: Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research ((HSSR))

Abstract

This chapter argues for a broader conception of ‘agency’ than is often empirically utilized within life course studies. We provide an overview of the conventional ways agency is measured and employed, "and suggest conditions..." that shape its subjective experience and how agency influences a range of life course outcomes. We build on this research by suggesting ways that the empirical treatment of agency might mirror its theoretical development. We call for further research on agency across the life course that (a) investigates aspects of temporality, optimism, and expectations that are less theorized and empirically linked with agency and (b) explores agency through a cross-cultural lens.

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  1. Department of Sociology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Steven Hitlin & Hye Won Kwon

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  1. Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

    Michael J. Shanahan

  2. Life Course Center and Department of Sociology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    Jeylan T. Mortimer

  3. Department of Sociology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA

    Monica Kirkpatrick Johnson

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Hitlin, S., Kwon, H.W. (2016). Agency Across the Life Course. In: Shanahan, M., Mortimer, J., Kirkpatrick Johnson, M. (eds) Handbook of the Life Course. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20880-0_20

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