Agency in Archaeology

Shanks
Agency, within an archaeological context, has been defined by Dobres and
Robb (2000b,8) as being:accepted to be the way in which societies structures inhabit and empower
agents, those agents aims, ideals and desires and the material conditions of
social life.
To aid in understanding the theory of agency this article will address certain
criteria that will allow for a better comprehension of what agency actually is,
what purpose it holds and what can be achieved by application of the
theory.
The concept of agency
Agency is still a relatively new concept and, as such, archaeologists have
not yet fully engaged nor focussed on what agency essentially is. The
reasoning behind agency is complex and much attention has been given to
how agency can be used (Gardner, 2004) but, as it is currently no more than
an archaeological model, there is some resistance to it being applied. It
should be noted that agency is an all encompassing theory and can be
applied to much in the field of archaeology. In order for the application of
agency to be most effective, however, it needs to be attuned to the
particular archaeological situation at hand.
It could be considered that the core principle behind agency is that of
examination of individual people and associated interaction with objects,
structures and society. Further to this, it may be said that agency is also
concerned with how individual actions from individual people become
patterns shaped by previous actions which, in turn, become social rules and
regulations.
Consideration needs to be taken on the significance of experience, both
personal and shared, together with an understanding on how these patterns
are related to both the material world (material agents) and external forces.
At this time there is much academic discussion with regard to how social
structures can have an impact on the behaviour of an agent. Variables that
may affect the actions of the agent include criteria such as background,
class, race and gender. Consideration should also be given to changes that
may occur throughout the lifetime of an individual. There could be, for
example, an improvement or deterioration of an individuals situation.
Further thought might be given to the lifestyle of the individual with respect
to whether or not that individual was exposed to new experiences.
A suitable analogy for agency could be Shakespeares As You Like It
monologue where it is written:-

All the worlds a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They
have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many
parts
The meaning of this text can be extended to mean that each set of
circumstances, each culture, time or site can be likened to a theatre