Social Actors: what does this mean in english!

"Social actors" could be interpreted as either individuals or collectives (e.g. political parties, trades unions, social movements) who exercise agency as opposed to constraining social structures. Structural theories emphasize the ways in which social structures determine and constrain individual (or collective) action, whereas Action theories take the opposite viewpoint.

Although the term “social actor” is sometimes seen as just another example of sociological jargon (“actor” is just a flash way of saying “people”) Action theorists use the concept to argue that “people” have certain qualities, just as Structural theorists argue that people have (different) qualities.

“An actor”, for Action theorists, has the ability to actively construct their world through the day-today choices they make (rather than simply reacting to structural pressures as Functionalists, for example, tend to argue).

A social actor, in basic terms, is a conscious, thinking, individual who has the capacity to shape their world in a variety of ways by reflecting on their situation and the choices available to them at any given time.