Social Structure in the Light of New Sociologies of the Individual

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present new theorisations of social structure
in light of the new sociologies of the individual currently being
developed in France. Although these sociologies are little known, they
have signifi cant value in rethinking today’s society and sociology.
Starting from a review of the concept and the main conceptions of
social structure, I will focus on the most signifi cant contributions of
these new sociologies of the individual. To do this, on the one hand, it
will be shown that the two classical traditions of social structure
(institutional or cultural and as a class structure) are insuffi cient to
explain today’s society, in which the individual has become the main
protagonist and key focus of sociology. On the other hand, in contrast
with the old sociologies of the individual, which are centred on the micro
level of social interaction, this paper analyses new structural constraints
that limit the individual’s action. The paper concludes with an invitation
to develop these new sociologies at an individual scale.