Erika Lozada
Professor Hageman
ZHON 194
2017 October 20
Exam 1- Midterm Question 1 Power is a fairly ambiguous term to define though many have taken on the challenge. One may attempt to define power by first looking at its sources: “charisma, legitimacy, wealth, confidence, support, resources, and prestige” (Notes, August 28th) among others. A person in power may hold one or all of these traits, but the result remains the same; those in power have the ability to manipulate material items or even whole societies for whatever reason they deem necessary.
In the sociology book Power and Society: An Introduction to the Social Sciences by Brigid Harrison she defines power as “the
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Harrison’s definition felt more like a means by which one may obtain power rather than the meaning of power itself. The ability to give and take resources may allow you to have power superficially, but what happens when a person no longer has those resources? What if a person gained power through other means? Harrison’s definition seems to bring about more questions than answers when it comes to what is power. Castell’s definition can be viewed as an extension of Harrison’s definition as they both hold the same ideology; power is rooted in being able to give and take from people. However, Castell explained how one may use reward and punishment to obtain power more extensively. I do agree that power is about being “the primary source of social structuration and dynamics” (Castell, 3), but it does so by exercising control. By using the term “transformative capacity” (Notes, August 28th) Giddens can be referring to any of the seven source of power listed above. A person is able to use control to influence people both superficially (ie. money) or socially (ie. government), but one may do this through more than just “production and distribution” (Castell, 2). The one problem I see with Giddens’s definition is the vagueness of his wording, but that is partially because power is such a broad term in itself. Harrison and Castell were able to do a better job of specifying how power is …show more content…
Social scientist use history to analyze the growth and change of modern society, the human psyche, and human development. History is “an unending dialogue between the present and the past” (Harrison 164) and is usually viewed through one of three perspectives: “the great man paradigm”, “the institutionalist perspective”, or “the elite theory” (Harrison 143). Throughout history we are able to see how societies seemed to continuously separate itself into groups depending on how the individual identified him/herself whether is was social class, race, religion, or government affiliations. Nevertheless, the majority of these identifiers have changed over time as the middle class expanded, African Americans gained civil rights, new religions emerged, and parties changed
Power, which is described as ‘the ability that an individual or group has to manipulate or influence the behaviours of others’ or ‘holding authority over others’, and examples of power are seen commonly in everyday life, whether at home between families or politically. Examples of such power are essential throughout the movie ‘The Castle’ directed by Rob Sitch and written by Jane Kennedy, Rob Sitch, Santo Cilauro, and Tom Gleisner. To what extent is this power portrayed throughout different areas of the film?
According to the oxford dictionary, “Power” is the ability to do something or act in a particular way especially as a faculty or even individually. It is also the political, social authority, or control that is exercised by a government. The theme of power, is portrayed throughout several texts and novels in both Mosaic I and II. In the book, Cat’s cradle by Kurt Vonnegut expresses the idea of power through religion, science and politics. The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marks and Frederick Engles, demonstrates how power, through class and economy leads to political empowerment. Homer’s Iliad and the Epic of Gilgamesh both demonstrate conflicting views of what is means to be powerful. Throughout these two text, both the Gods and mortals, struggle to discover their own power, whether it is through their strengths or an obsession with glory. The theme of power also manifests itself in the book of Antigone, where Creon abuses his privilege of absolute power and this allows him to suffer to a great extent. The Complete Persepolis and Walden and Civil Disobedience also demonstrates how governing powers can oppress people and this can be very restrictive in societies.
The definition of power is the ability to influence the behaviors of others or to change the course of events. Power can be gained through hard work or power can be given to you In a book published in 1937, this problem couldn’t be more prevalent. This book is Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. The story tells of two migrant workers, who are incredibly close friends. They goes place to place looking for a job during The Great Depression era. They eventually find a ranch in Soledad, California. Where they will face characters and incidents that will decide the fate of their dream. Powerful people are not as powerful as they seem, but is given power due to societal hierarchy or physical traits.
Power. It is defined as the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. Throughout time, certain individuals have acquired power in their society as a way to govern and keep order among their community. Power is not a new concept; it was used in the past by many emperors, kings, and queens, and is still being used by presidents, prime ministers, and dictators. Although, it has been used to further progress societies into what the world is like today, not all power has been used for the best of mankind. But what goes awry to make power turn corrupt? In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, it is illustrated how power can turn corrupt, when authoritative figures, who possess power, abuse it for their personal gain, rather than for the common good of the society.
Power has been defined as the psychological relations over another to get them to do what you want them to do. We are exposed to forms of power from the time of birth. Our parents exercise power over us to behave in a way they deem appropriate. In school, teachers use their power to help us learn. When we enter the work world the power of our boss motivates us to perform and desire to move up the corporate ladder so that we too can intimidate someone with power one day. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Kurtz had a power over the jungle and its people that was inexplicable.
Power simply can be defined as control over resources. This control allows for individuals to bring about change. The influence of power typically has a negative impact on individuals. It has even been said that “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Typically, as an individual gains power they tend to be less inhibited and act more based on their personal desires disregarding what is ethically right. Oftentimes, individuals lose sight of their morals in attempts to gain more power and exploit other people. Indeed, it is true that “with great power comes great responsibility” and whether an individual lets that responsibility corrupt them is a strong measure of their personal character (Ferguson and Peterson,
As defined by the Webster dictionary, Power is the “ability to act, regarded as latent or inherent; the faculty of doing or performing something; capacity for action or performance; capability of producing an effect, whether physical or moral; potency; might; as, a man of great power, the power of capillary attraction; money gives power.” We have seen this through our own government and the individuals who use their leadership in selfish, greedy ways in order to maintain power. “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” is a quote by John Emerich Edward Dalberg Action that has proven throughout history that a person’s desire for power ultimately leads them to corruption.
Power is a difficult concept to define conclusively or definitively however, Bourdieu explains power to be a symbolic construct that is perpetuated through every day actions and behaviours of a society, that manipulate power relations to create, maintain and force the conforming of peoples to the given habitus of that society (Bourdieu, 1977). Power, is a force created through the
McShane and Von Glinow define Power as “the capacity of a person, team, or organization to influence others” (300). Furthermore, they state that power derives from five main sources and four main contingencies like the following figure illustrates.
Some theorists believe that ‘power is everywhere: not because it embraces everything, but because it comes from everywhere… power is not an institution, nor a structure, nor possession. It is the name we give to a complex strategic situation in a particular society. (Foucault, 1990: 93) This is because power is present in each individual and in every relationship. It is defined as the ability of a group to get another group to take some form of desired action, usually by consensual power and sometimes by force. (Holmes, Hughes &Julian, 2007) There have been a number of differing views on ‘power over’ the many years in which it has been studied. Theorist such as Anthony Gidden in his works on structuration theory attempts to integrate basic structural analyses and agency-centred traditions. According to this, people are free to act, but they must also use and replicate fundamental structures of power by and through their own actions. Power is wielded and maintained by how one ‘makes a difference’ and based on their decisions and actions, if one fails to exercise power, that is to ‘make a difference’ then power is lost. (Giddens: 1984: 14) However, more recent theorists have revisited older conceptions including the power one has over another and within the decision-making processes, and power, as the ability to set specific, wanted agendas. To put it simply, power is the ability to get others to do something they wouldn’t otherwise do. In the political arena, therefore, power is the ability to make or influence decisions that other people are bound by.
Power is authority and strength, which is any form of motive force or energy, ability to act, or control. When too much power is given, a dictatorship government can form, in which all decisions are made by one authority. In the book Animal Farm, by George Orwell the author portrays how “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton).
The term power has a variety of definitions. According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the first definition of power refers to “the ability or capacity to act or do something effectively”, also include “a capacity, faculty, or aptitude,” (“power. (n.d.)
Power is defined in the course study notes as the “ability of individuals or groups to get what they want despite the opposition”. Power is derived from a variety of sources including knowledge, experience and environmental uncertainties (Denhardt et al, 2001). It is also important to recognize that power is specific to each situation. Individuals or groups that may be entirely powerful in one situation may find themselves with little or no power in another. The county Registrar of Voters, who is my boss, is a perfect example. In running the local elections office, she can exercise the ultimate power. However, in a situation where she attempted to get the county selected for a desirable, statewide pilot project, she was powerless, completely at the mercy of the Secretary of State. Power is difficult to measure and even to recognize, yet it plays a major role in explaining authority. In organizations, power is most likely exercised in situations where “the stakes are high, resources are limited, and goals and processes are unclear” (Denhardt et al, 2001). The absence of power in organizations forces us to rely on soley hierarchical authority.
Racism, discrimination and subordination are unfortunate turn of events that infest the relationship between majorities and minorities making the relationship between the two groups a problematic one. The existence of a majority and a minority is not a negative issue itself, but when the minority faces one of the events previously stated it is a violation of human rights due to the effects that racism, discrimination and subordination may occur. Clear examples were this subordination is present between the Caucasians in the and the African and African American population in the United Sates as well as the people of France and Muslims in France. These groups of minorities both display a political root or issue that lead to the subordination,
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men,” quoting historian Lord Acton. Before reading the quote, I never noticed the relationship between power and corruption in the real world. I thought of power as a form of recognition for hard work, that in turn is a positive outcome. After putting some thought into it, I realized my mistake