Agency and Structure in Processes of Desistance

• In Event: Narrating the Life Course and the Process of Desistance

Abstract

Theorists of desistance have devoted much attention to the ways in which agency and structure intertwine to shape routes out of crime. Whilst it is widely accepted that there is an 'interplay' between agency and structure, most of the recent research into desistance from crime has tended (for various reasons) to emphasize the agent and his or her actions. As such, the ways in which structures shape processes of desistance have (relative to the work on agency) been under-researched. This paper attempts to summarize those studies which have suggested a link between structural processes and desistance, draw out their main findings and suggest some ways forward for researchers interested in elucidating the role of structural forms in desistance.

Author

• Stephen Farrall, Sheffield University