The concept of power has been a central question since the formation of human society and we should first look at what its meaning is in a discussion of power. Power can be most simply defined as the ability for someone to get what they want. Power in society can be further divided into “power over," "power to" and "power with”. “Power over” is the ability to hold power over another group or individual in which the one who holds power can influence their actions or behaviour. “Power to” refers to one’s own abilities and resources which allows them to achieve certain goals with their own power. “Power with” is the ability to work with others through a consensus which allows people to work together to accomplish something or solve a problem, …show more content…
Over the course of history, many philosophers and sociologists such as Marx and Foucault have established theories relating to the central ideas of power. However, I believe that in current society it can be seen that the bases of power are fundamentally economic.
The original theories of Karl Marx involved the proposition of society being divided into many “classes” such as the peasants, bourgeois and aristocracy. Marx speculated that this class division would eventually lead to an uprising of the working class which will create a society where the production means of economic assets are state owned. The resulting benefits would be distributed to the public equally, in terms of the amount of work put in from individuals; Marx (1848) was one of the first to advocate this idea. This can be seen as a form of “power with” as it represents an idealistic society of people working together for a common goal and with the results of their work being fairly distributed by the overarching power which would be the state in this
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Foucault confronts previously established ideas of power being wielded by only a limited amount of people as an ability of coercion or domination. It was his belief that power and knowledge were intricately connected and his interests and studies were very much focused on discourse, which is defined by Foucault as the ways of constituting knowledge, along with social practices, forms of power relations which exist in knowledge and relations between them. Foucault believes that power is demonstrated not through concentrated authority, but in social institutions such as schools and courts which represent the existence and influence of social discourse. From this perspective, all educational systems can be seen as a means to either maintain or modify the appropriateness of discourses with the authority of knowledge and power they bring. In this light education may well be an instrument whereby every individual, in a society like our own, can gain access to any kind of discourse (Foucault, 1972). The theory of discourse is also applicable to issues of sexuality and minority in society which examines how society treats these topics and the evolution of discourse throughout history. For Foucault, discontinuity and continuity are used to reflect these changes in history whereby discourse can be both a tool which grants power and also the result of power and
It may be said that the institution of power has always been a prevalent force in our
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.
According to Foucault, “truth is a thing of this world: it is produced only by virtue of multiple forms of constraint as it induces regular effects of power” (1980:131). Therefore, he suggests that the production of “truth” is not entirely separable from power, and knowledge is power, as it constitutes new objects of inquiry that can be manipulated and controlled (1994:97). In other words, true discourses do not exist since all discourses are merely products of a society that attempts to exert power over people, which is percei...
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.
Karl Marx noted that society was highly stratified in that most of the individuals in society, those who worked the hardest, were also the ones who received the least from the benefits of their labor. In reaction to this observation, Karl Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto where he described a new society, a more perfect society, a communist society. Marx envisioned a society, in which all property is held in common, that is a society in which one individual did not receive more than another, but in which all individuals shared in the benefits of collective labor (Marx #11, p. 262). In order to accomplish such a task Marx needed to find a relationship between the individual and society that accounted for social change. For Marx such relationship was from the historical mode of production, through the exploits of wage labor, and thus the individual’s relationship to the mode of production (Marx #11, p. 256).
At this point, with an understanding of what power is, what it means, how it is created and the various means through which it is expressed, one can begin to conceptualise how it is that power functions within a given society. Symbolic, cultural, social and economic capital distribute and perpetuate power within a society, through a cycle of transformation whereby these capital resources can be interchanged and manipulated to the advantage of individuals who have
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.
Theory: Michel Foucault argues a number of points in relation to power and offers definitions that are directly opposed to more traditional liberal and Marxist theories of power. Foucault believed that power is never in any one person's hands, it does not show itself in any obvious manner but rather as something that works its way into our imaginations and serves to constrain how we act.... ... middle of paper ... ... Giddons, A. (2007). The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.
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).
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.
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.
The Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) was established by the United States Congress in 2002. Contained in the MTSA are rules and regulations designed for port facilities, vessels, and waterways, to provide an extra level of security for potentially vulnerable areas. Additionally, the Act outlines the role of the federal government agencies and assists facilities with making a Facility Security Plan that would include preventative measures and response procedures. Federal laws were constructed and outlined in the MTSA like Section 2284 (a) for the transportation of terrorist that makes it illegal to transport terrorist (MTSA, 2002). The final roll out of the Transportation Works Identification Credentials (TWIC) which prevents an individual
Power is the ability to make people say and/or do things. It is the ability to get whatever you want. Power is necessary in any society, otherwise all would break loose; leaders must be established. When taken to an extreme, power is not good. As Lord Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." An example of this is Adolph Hitler from Germany. He thought that he could not be stopped and that rules did not apply to him. By being given absolute power, he altered the government. No one attempted to stop this in the German country, because of his con...
Power is the ability to influence the behavior of others. The most important aspect of power is dependence; a person’s power increases if someone is dependent on them, or if they have something the other needs. Some people have power that they don’t use or may not even know they have.