Agency in cultural-historical activity theory: strengthening commitment to social transformation

ABSTRACT Theorizing agency is crucial to intervening in social, economic, political, and environmental crises. This paper examines three approaches to agency within cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT): transformative activist stance (Stetsenko), transformative agency by double stimulation (Sannino), and relational agency (Edwards). All three uphold CHAT’s rebellious gist, where our actions are shaped by circumstances but where the possibility of transcending those circumstances always remains. However, the paper finds important differences despite common foundations and apparent similarities in relation to dialectics, mediation, motives, and practice. Bringing these distinctions into relief highlights what each framework offers and nuances that hold them helpfully apart.