In Conversation with Karen Barad: Doings of Agential Realism

Agential realism offers a framework for understanding how individuals and social groups interact with and transform the material world.
Agential realism provides a framework for understanding how individuals and social groups interact with and transform the material world, and is applied in research across various disciplines and levels of scholarship.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 184 pages
Publication date: 27 December 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Shows how agential realism can be applied in research across a variety of different disciplines and levels of scholarship. With a foreword by Karen Barad and audio transcripts and videos have their explicit permission / endorsement to be included. Based on a seminar held in South Africa and largely attended by scholars from the global south - reviewers praised for diversity.

Shows how agential realism can be applied in research across a variety of different disciplines and levels of scholarship. With a foreword by Karen Barad and audio transcripts and videos have their explicit permission / endorsement to be included. Based on a seminar held in South Africa and largely attended by scholars from the global south - reviewers praised for diversity.

Agential realism is a philosophical framework that emphasizes the role of agency and intentionality in shaping the world. It has been applied in research across a wide range of disciplines, from social sciences to the natural sciences, and at different levels of scholarship. In this essay, we will explore how agential realism can be applied in research across different disciplines and levels of scholarship.

One of the key strengths of agential realism is its ability to provide a more nuanced understanding of human behavior and social interactions. It recognizes that individuals are not just passive recipients of their environment but active agents who have the ability to shape their own lives and the world around them. This approach allows researchers to explore the complex interplay between individual agency, social structures, and cultural norms and how these factors shape human behavior and outcomes.

For example, in the field of social science, agential realism can be used to explore the role of agency in social movements and protests. Researchers can examine how individuals come together to form collective movements, how these movements are shaped by social structures and cultural norms, and how they are resisted or transformed by political and economic forces. By focusing on the role of individual agency and intentionality, agential realism can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of social movements and the factors that contribute to their success or failure.

In the natural sciences, agential realism can be used to explore the role of agency in the formation and evolution of ecosystems. Researchers can examine how organisms interact with their environment, how they adapt to changing conditions, and how they contribute to the structure and function of ecosystems. By focusing on the role of individual agency and intentionality, agential realism can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of ecological systems and the factors that contribute to their stability or instability.

At different levels of scholarship, agential realism can be applied in research in a variety of ways. For example, at the undergraduate level, agential realism can be used to introduce students to the concept of agency and to encourage them to think critically about the role of individuals and social structures in shaping their own lives and the world around them. At the graduate level, agential realism can be used to develop more complex and nuanced theories and models that incorporate the role of agency and intentionality in shaping human behavior and social interactions.

In conclusion, agential realism is a powerful framework that can be applied in research across a variety of different disciplines and levels of scholarship. It provides a more nuanced understanding of human behavior and social interactions and allows researchers to explore the complex interplay between individual agency, social structures, and cultural norms. By focusing on the role of individual agency and intentionality, agential realism can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the world and the factors that shape it.

Weight: 324g
Dimension: 155 x 233 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032253831