• What are social actors?
• Characteristics of social actors
• Types of social actors
• Importance of social actors
• Examples of social actors

We explain what social actors are, what their characteristics are and various examples. Also, what types exist and why they are important.

Social actors are people or groups of people who drive social change.

What are social actors?

In the field of sociology, we speak of social actors to refer to the people or groups of people (such as organizations or collective) that promote in the society certain strategies of change and transformation, responding to the interests of a portion of the population whose values represent. In other words, they are social action groups that watch over the interests of a specific sector of the citizenry and try to ensure that their needs are taken into account.

This means that the social actors represent specific sectors of society and therefore have a identity own society and a social role to play in the face of community. Its purpose is to achieve a balance in terms of can, understanding society as a system of powers and interests that requires negotiation and agreement to prosper in peace.

To this end, social actors have an impact on the economy, the culture and/or the politics, whether they are part of the apparatus of the Condition, or not. This incidence is manifested through a social role, that is, of a function that the community assigns to them and that they carry out voluntarily.

For example, in contemporary society the Church and the clergy are powerful social actors, who administer spirituality and respond to tradition, that is, they promote more or less traditional values.But, at the same time, there are churches that follow a theology of liberation, assuming a political message of change.

Characteristics of social actors

Social actors are characterized by the following:

• They are representative of a portion of the population, which identifies with them through their values ​​and concrete actions.
• They assume a certain role and identity within society, and may vary according to the specific issue or topic being studied within society. That is, the social actors involved in one issue may not be involved in a different issue.
• They are defined by their goals proposals, the function they fulfill within society and the sector whose values ​​they represent, that is: who does what and on whose behalf.
• They can be more or less powerful actors within society, and also more or less visible and formal.

Types of social actors

There are two types of social actors: direct and indirect, and they differ from each other according to their way of influencing society.

• Direct social actors are those who play their social role directly, that is, who are closely involved with the tasks that the community expects of them.
• Indirect social actors are those that do not act directly on society, but rather provide support to those who do: financing, promotion, etc.

Importance of social actors

Social actors materialize people's aspirations and promote collective action.

Social actors are essential to promote a dynamic of change in today's society. Not only do they give a voice to the plurality of sectors that comprise it, but they also materialize the aspirations of the people and promote collective action. Seen in this way, social actors are nothing more than a kind of inciters to action, that is, to change.

Examples of social actors

Some examples of social actors are:

• Neighborhood or community boards. They are grassroots institutions identified with a specific territory within the city. Not only are the concerns of the people channeled there, but the social organization and the involvement of people in improving their living conditions.
• Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). They are international organizations that pursue humanitarian, ecological and democratic goals without the support or control of the State. They are often the only voices raised against authoritarian regimes.
• political parties and groups. They are formal political organizations that act against the State and public powers, with the purpose of either mobilizing the government and making decisions, or serving as a counterweight to the government when it is in opposition.
• The unions of workers. They are union organizations that represent the interests and values ​​of different sectors of the working class against their employers and against the State. They are the ones who discuss and define the terms of collective bargaining, for example.
• The entrepreneurs Y businessmen. Are legal persons and corporations that look after their own economic interests, but at the same time provide employment and growth opportunities to people.
• The Church and the clergy. They are institutions that bring together a group of believers who profess a certain belief or religion. Defenders of morality and tradition, the Church (whatever it is) is and has been an important social actor in almost all civilizations.