Coming to Terms with the Complementarity of Agent and Structure

This article questions how to conceptualize the relation between different ontologies in the social sciences. Giddens' Structuration Theory is analyzed as an example of an unifying theory linking 'agent' and 'structure' ontologies. The concept of interaction is used to pinpoint Giddens' notion of the complementarity of these two. The resulting ABSTRACT unification does, however, not result in a unified social analysis. Rather it implies that we need to 'bracket' the one or the other approach in empirical observation. This raises the question: What is complementarity? In this article it is argued the notion of complementarity as developed in quantum theory (Q-complementarity) applies to the case at hand. Q-complementarity does not refer to the possible simultaneous attribution of characteristics, but establishes the validity of both attributes for describing reality depending on the circumstances of observation.