What term describes the patterned social arrangements that can affect an individual's agency?

The term that describes the patterned social arrangements affecting an individual's agency is known as structure. In sociology, structure refers to the frameworks and systems within a society that influence and guide individual behavior and choices. These structures can include institutions such as family, education, economy, and government, as well as social hierarchies and cultural norms that shape interactions and opportunities available to individuals.

When considering agency, which is an individual's capacity to act independently and make choices, it is understood that this agency is often constrained or shaped by the larger societal structures in which individuals find themselves. For example, a person's social class, race, or gender can influence the opportunities and paths available to them, thus impacting their ability to exercise agency.

In contrast, social norms refer to the unwritten rules about how to behave in society, which influence behavior but do not encompass the broader category of social arrangements like structures do. Anomie is a concept introduced by Émile Durkheim, describing a state of normlessness or breakdown of social norms, which is a specific condition rather than a description of the broader social structures themselves. Therefore, structure is the most accurate term for describing the interconnected systems that shape individual agency within society.