Agency-centered describes a perspective or approach that prioritizes individual autonomy, initiative, and the capacity for self-determination. It emphasizes the active role of individuals in shaping their own lives and the world around them, focusing on their ability to make choices, exert influence, and pursue their goals. This contrasts with approaches that emphasize external forces or deterministic factors. The agency-centered viewpoint acknowledges that individuals are not merely passive recipients of circumstances, but active agents capable of driving change.
Agency-centered meaning with examples
- In educational reform, an agency-centered approach empowers students to take ownership of their learning, encouraging self-directed projects and collaborative problem-solving. This fosters critical thinking and a lifelong love of learning by allowing students to decide on their own path of learning and projects.
- Therapy can be agency-centered, focusing on building self-awareness, helping clients understand their options, and supporting them in making choices aligned with their values. This style gives the patient control, allowing them to actively participate and decide what will be most effective.
- Successful marketing campaigns often adopt an agency-centered strategy, highlighting how a product or service empowers users to achieve their aspirations. The main appeal is the individual gaining greater ability to make choices, and achieve results on their own through purchase.
- Social policy designed with agency-centered principles aims to create opportunities for individuals to improve their circumstances through their own efforts, such as job training programs or micro-loan initiatives. These create opportunities for individuals to decide and make choices for themselves.