[MD] Keep on Truckin'

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Marsha]
Is this about an autonomous individual?

[Arlo]
No. In this paragraph the author is stating the extremes, or poles, 
of "structure" (determinism?) and "agency" (free will?). There have 
been other terms for these, but within structuration theories (such 
as Giddens, Archer, Parker and Bourdieu), these are recast not as 
antagonist forces, but mutually enabling and mutually supportive. 
Agency is always enacted within structure, and structure is always 
influenced by agency. Greater structure brings greater agency, 
simplistically, rather than being inversely related. The incredibly 
rapidity of world travel, and the ensuing "freedom" to move around 
the globe, rests on a very complex structure of mechanics, 
navigation, flight theory, schedules, airports, etc etc etc. If you 
remove the structure, the agency of  the individual to move around is 
severely diminished. Moreso, Boudieu also considers the same duality 
regarding "words" which Mark seems to suggest is a form of 
imprisonment. Assimilating language provides us with far greater 
capacity to act than a feral human would have, albeit it at the same 
time (like roadways) channeling our thoughts in certain ways.