Which came first: the chicken or the egg? This question, very similar to the one this essay aims to address, has been a topic of debate for centuries. If the chicken was born first, where did it come from? Science has taught us that chickens are born from eggs. If it really was the egg that was born first, where did the egg come from? We were always informed that chickens laid eggs. In this case, without us human beings, societies would not be formed. Alternatively, without societies, humans would not have a lifestyle to adhere to and live by. Anthony Giddens, a British sociologist, introduced structuration theory which implies a “double involvement” of humans and society – a duality between action and structure. He wrote: “we create society at the same time as we are created by it” (Giddens 1986, p.11). As defined by Giddens, “a society is a set, or system, of institutionalized modes of conduct… and behaviors that occur and are repeated or reproduced socially – across… time and space” (Giddens 1986, p.8 ). This essay will evaluate how society has shaped us and how we have shaped society through social and legal aspects based on Giddens' structuration theory and analyzing Max Weber's "Iron Cage" theory in relation to the topic. Looking at it from a social perspective, society shapes human beings from within an individual; influences their role in a family; plays a role in a person's classroom; extends to influence one's culture; and even shapes a generation. On an individual level we must admit that we need society: we are interdependent creatures. Adam Smith said, “In civilized society [a person] finds himself… in need of the co-operation and assistance of great multitudes” – in today’s context, we are… halfway through the paper… on Cage? Using Max Weber to define the internal dynamics of American political culture today. Max Weber Studies, [online]. 1/2, 178-195. Available at: http://www.maxweberstudies.org/MWSJournal/1.2pdfs/1.2%20178-195.pdf [Accessed 9 December 2013].7) P. Saunders, N. Davenport, K. Maguire, NS Dhaliwal , S .Decano (2011). Are we still a classless society, Mr Cameron? [online]. Available from: . [Accessed 7 December].8) University of Twente. 2013. STRUCTURAL THEORY. [online] Available at: http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20Clusters/Organizational%20Communication/Structurational_Theory/ [Accessed: 10 December 2013].9) JJ Rousseau, 1763. The social contract . Translated by H. A. Myers. [online]Available at:http://www.mysocialstudiesclass.com/Rousseau_Social_Contract.pdf [Accessed: 10 December 2013].