Campbell's Five Points of Agency

After reading Campbell's definition of agency, I am seeking to analyze each part of her definition and try to relate the parts to relevant examples.  Campbell says agency is, "communal and participatory, hence, both constituted and constrained by externals that are material and symbolic; is 'invented' by authors who are points of articulation; emerges in artistry or craft; is effected through form; and is perverse, that is, inherently protean, ambiguous, open to reversal" (Campbell I).  My first impression of her definition is the many facets that she labels to the word "agency."  It is not a simple, definable word, which shows how its complexities and various constructs are embedded in a culture.


Campbell's first point of agency is "communal and participatory" (I).  What does she mean by communal and participatory?  Agency in the individual is not as powerful or effective as it could be in a group of people.  A main component of rhetoric is persuasion for the purpose of enlightening or inviting an audience to your intended ideas.  Perhaps, the rhetor wants to create a larger following that will be proponents of his ideas, which will increase agency within the group.  The way a rhetor shares these ideas is through a shared language or set of common symbols (think Kenneth Burke).  One particular example that comes to mind are speeches on the Syrian nuclear weapon conflict.  Proponents of going over to Syria and taking action are making appeals to an audience.  The more influence that these proponents gain, the better reason they have for taking action.  These speeches are involving others as well garnering more power to act.  But Campbell says that agency is "constituted and constrained by externals that are material and symbolic" (I).  I think of exigences when I read the previous phrase.  This agency can be diminished or can fail if the general consensus of the audience is against going over to Syria.  People already have preconceived beliefs on these world issues.  Agency is not always agreeable.

The second point of agency is "invented by authors who are points of articulation" (I).  When Campbell says "invented", she does not mean making completely new knowledge.  She means invention relating to bridging gaps historically as well articulating the ambiguous.  I like to think of it as creating new ideas and theories from knowledge that has already been discovered.  Campbell is giving more credit to the author/creator unlike Focault and Barthes.  An example would be a novel where the author is influenced by other popular novelists and books.  They are his words but they are not entirely original.  The agency of the novel is a result of borrowed knowledge and ideas from previous works.

Third, agency "emerges in artistry or craft" (I).  Agency is increased through repetition, repeated exposure, and practice.  Again, I think of the rhetor giving a speech to an audience.  Skillful speakers capture the audience's attention.  The more you practice a speech, the better you will deliver it.  What about a piece of art?  Agency lies in the piece of art as well as the artist.  This shows how agency can be handed down and passed through different mediums/channels and yet still be effective.  The third point of Campbell's definition brings up the role of skill in agency.

Fourth, agency is "effected through form" (I).  She specifically is referring to texts as having agency.  The way an author composes his piece is very critical in determining how the readership will receive the content.  Relating to Walter Ong's reading, the text can trump the author if the form so chooses to.  The author is not less important than the text, but agency is transformed through the author's creation to the actual created content.  Form is the way humans categorize.  We thrive on creating subsets of material that is broad and can be broken down.  Think of a library that functions through the use of categorizing books.

Lastly, agency is "perverse, that is, inherently protean, ambiguous, and open to reversal" (I).  This fifth point is one of Campbell's most important.  While our first thoughts might be to use agency for good, many times it is not.  This is important to understand because agency can be very successful while simultaneously corrupting.  By no means is agency unchanging.  This corruption can be reversed through agency that is for the purpose of good.  This is why I believe a person's character or virtue is entirely crucial when talking about agency and its effects.  For example, Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein used the power of agency to corrupt its own peoples.  Their tactic was grounded in the belief that these actions were for the betterment of their nation and its peoples.  I found Campbell's explanation of each of her points a little vague and sometimes confusing, which is why I have addressed these issues and tried to dissect and simplify them for my own understanding.