Strong Structuration Theory and Social Policy: Linking Social Citizenship Rights and Practices

The examination of the interplay between formal social rights and people’s de facto opportunities for achieving full and effective social citizenship is a key focus in social policy research. Strong structuration theory focuses on the links between society and the individual, holding great potential to explain the active agency of persons at risk of poverty and social exclusion, their coping and resistance strategies, as well as the potential for social transformation. Despite its explanatory potential, the theory has rarely been applied in empirical social policy research. This paper has two sections. The first section provides an overview of the key components of Strong Structuration Theory within the broader context of practice theory. The second section applies the theory to a study of the opportunities to exercise social citizenship among persons at risk of poverty and exclusion in Europe. Drawing on findings from the Horizon 2020 project "EUROSHIP- Closing gaps in European Social Citizenship", the paper discusses the efforts of persons at risk of poverty and social exclusion to improve their own life opportunities and achieve full and effective participation in society.