Sense of Agency, Affectivity and Social-Ecological Degradation: An Enactive and Phenomenological Approach.

Summary

The paper argues that the sense of agency—the feeling of being in control of one's actions and their effects—is not solely an individual, internal experience but is deeply shaped by social and ecological contexts. Drawing on enactive and phenomenological approaches, it contends that ongoing social-ecological degradation, such as climate change and environmental destruction, can undermine people's sense of agency by disrupting the feedback loops between action and consequence. This erosion of agency, in turn, affects emotional well-being and the capacity for meaningful engagement with the world, highlighting the need to consider environmental factors in understanding human experience.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Sense of Agency, Affectivity and Social-Ecological Degradation: An Enactive and Phenomenological Approach.