On the temporal dimension of social structures.

Abstract

The social structure is one of the concepts that are often used in social studies, but relatively rarely discussed in social theory. The other hand, the current social transformation is usually associated with radical transformation of the social order that directly touches upon the issue of changes in the social structure itself. Social structure is usually understood as the configuration of relations between different social positions. A typical remarks about the social structure is that it seems to deny human freedom and initiativeby insisting on absolute determinism of the structural social behavior. Today we are witnessing a new round of discussions on the issue of (in)determination of social behavior and the role of the social structure in the process. The article deals with theory R.Bhaskar and M. Archer, who insist on the autonomy of social structures and the need to incorporate temporal characteristics of social processes. Processuality of social life and the presence of a change urge single out different phases and recognize the impact of various structural coercion on social actors. In this case, each social position as a sort of "crossroads" of social relationships (sex, age, family status, ethnic, civic, political, professional, regional, corporate, etc) should be considered from the perspective of temporal perspectives and retrospective. Contemporary social life is also very complex. Because processes that require active involvement of individuals in social interactions (economic, political, cultural, etc.) are becoming more important, the role of cognitive factors increases significantly. This induces to incorporation of individual perspectives in the study of social structures.