Collective Agency: An enhanced capability for joint action

This chapter presents the Layered Model of Agency as a semiotic framework for the study of collective agency. The model identifies six distinct types of agencies: operative, reflective, joint, material-mediated, sign-mediated, and symbolic. Each level is examined in detail to elucidate the semiotic mechanisms and the cognitive architecture underlying the emergence of collective agencies. The model conceptualizes collective agency as an enhanced capability for action, incorporating artifacts to constitute sociotechnical systems. Within this framework, both institutional and non-institutional forms of collective agency are explored. In contrast to institutions, the collective agency of non-institutionalized social organizations generates dense networks of interaction within horizontal structures, facilitating the convergence between shared norms and individual values. This bottom-up view on agency recognizes individuals as agents of change and their crucial role in collective agency. Consequently, I underscore the importance of examining the interactions between individual and collective agency, proposing the Layered Model of Agency as a relevant tool for investigating these issues.