Cycles of Change

The comparison of large language models to fancy word processors captures a fundamental truth about computational agency. A word processor sits dormant until human input activates its functions. The software possesses capabilities (spell check, formatting, document generation) but exercises none of [...]

The experience of economic instability for families often involves a progressive erosion of personal agency and social standing. As the gap between housing costs and stagnant wages widens, many household units find themselves on the precipice of homelessness. In this precarious state, the [...]

The sociological concept of the "leisured indigent," introduced by Jane Jacobs in her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, describes people who use public spaces without a commercial reason. These individuals, who are often homeless, show a form of urban agency that challenges modern [...]