The Agent–Structure Problem and Institutional Racism

My aim here is to demonstrate the relevance of meta-theoretical speculation to policy design and implementation through an examination of the agent–structure problem. I then apply this problem to the concept of institutional racism as developed in the Macpherson inquiry into the death and subsequent police (mis)investigation of black teenager Stephen Lawrence. When considered through the lens of the agent–structure problem, the account of institutional racism developed in the Macpherson inquiry still lacks a solid analysis of the structural causes that help explain the phenomenon. Policies developed on the basis of the account will necessarily fail to address some of the causes of institutional racism. Careful attention to the agent–structure problem can help illuminate potentially unexplored areas of the social field that might help in controlling or eradicating racism.