The Social Conditions of (Migrant) Children’s Agency in Global Society

The concept of agency aims to explain the representation of (migrant) children as active participants in social relations. This concept re ects the recognition of a child-centered approach in Western culture. However, the attempt to explain non-Western conditions of children’s agency has opened important questions about the meaning of agency. This chapter explores the possibility of generalizing the concept of agency and the different social conditions in which children’s agency may be enhanced (or not enhanced). This exploration leads to questioning the meaning of the relation between children’s action on the one hand and social structures on the other. In order to understand children’s agency, it is crucial to reformulate the meanings of active participation, social structures, and interplay between the West and global society.