A Study on Personal Agency Expression in Housing Renovation

Abstract

This paper reviews the sociological criteria of the general public’s expression of personal agency concerning the housing renovation program. We propose the following criteria: attitude towards the housing renovation program and its progress; readiness to contribute to discussion regarding the proposed administrative decisions; desire to obtain information and the level of satisfaction with the information obtained; the level of community self-governance; and the willingness to advocate for one’s own interests. This study is unique in that it uses specially created social groups as its basis for analysis. The groups were formed based on two criteria: personal involvement in the renovation program (or lack thereof) and attitude towards the program. The results of this sociological study reveal the specific ways in which members of the aforementioned social groups express their personal agency, as well as the level and nature of such agency. We note that the government authorities have made it legally and organizationally possible for the general public to become involved in the execution of this administrative process, but the public responds to this in different ways, expressing its agency to different degrees. The agency differs both by level (high, moderate, low) and nature (supportive, protective, neutral).

Keywords

• population subjectivity
• government and administration
• housing renovation program
• social groups
• sociological research results