Power is a quality, a tool, and a weapon utilized for a variety of reasons. It is in the form of a quality in which it gives the possessor, a sense of control. In the form of a weapon, power is possessed in order to produce a negative environment of hurt and punishment. But, in the form of a tool, power may be used in order to gain something more, something positive. Thus, power creates a sense of superiority which may result in consequences on both side of the spectrum, the good or the bad. As one of the many uses of power, it is prominent and obvious that it is used with the aim of hurting or punishing an individual or a group of beings. With this particular intention, power has been evident to cause devastation in many. One evident example of such abuse of power is seen in Joy Kogawa’s Obasan. Upon the horrific Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, a temporary stamp was engraved on the faces of Japanese Canadians as a threat to the country. Based on a very prejudice basis, Japanese Canadians, mostly in Western Canada, were sent to work camps in which they were deprived of many rights. From this event in the novel, it is clear that injustice was served to the unworthy. The misuse of political power and make unjust decisions was evident in Kogawa’s Obasan. Another such example of the abuse of power is seen in Mistry’s A Fine Balance. In the novel, the power of the police force and the power of military were used in order to deprive many poor from their homes and ignorantly dump them into fruitless work camps. Just the same, use of political power is also dominant in the governments of North America and has been spotted to affect masses. For example, the decision of the U.S. government to introduce a bill, SOPA, has been obviously s... ... middle of paper ... ... is sometimes unimaginable. It is one part of the everyday life that is evident to play one of the biggest roles in today’s society. Use of money can definitely result in negative consequences but also positive ones. Using the power of money, one can change countless lives stuck in poverty. Using the power of money, one can provide a living for oneself and a ray of hope in another’s life. Seeing a positive use of power as money, I help an approximate number of fifteen physically disable children in the care of the Salvation Army in India. Shocked by the state of their lives, I felt the need to make use of something in order to give hope to the children. Thus, with the power of money, I started donating regularly in the hope that, if not much, at least they may have the comfort of living properly. Thus, with the use of money, power expresses many positive deeds.
Power is a great privilege to have and a person can take advantage of the power if they have it. Getting the privilege of power can be abused and misused depending on the person it is given to. Sometimes if the power lands in the wrong person’s hands they can use it to benefit themselves. In the novel called Montana 1948 by Larry Watson, the power of the law is being abused in the situations occurring throughout the book. Having power and privileges can make a great impact on your life and other people’s lives and give you a variety of advantages.
What is power to a human? As time has gone by, there have been many forms of control and influence in the world. Many strive to achieve total rule over a society or group of individuals. Yet the question still presents itself to the average man. Why does man desire power so greatly even though there is visible trouble that follows? Shelley’s Frankenstein, Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron”, and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, whether through the situation or the character themselves, depict the evils and hardships due to an imbalance and poor management of power.
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 allows people to do anything they want. They can use it in different ways, they can tell people to obey them, they can use it to hurt someone they hate, and even rob. They can also use it in a positive way, they can help people and do a lot of good things with it.
Power is something that you can use physically and mentally not only on yourself but on other people. There was a rape trial between Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell and Tom was convicted; to bad he was completely innocent. Mayella does not have power when it comes to her class and gender, but when it comes to race; because she is white she is white she has more power than Tom. For example, Mayella is a female and males had more power during that time period because they were stronger and more dominate, she is also in the lowest class because she is poor, therefore leaving her power only in race because she is white.
As shown in literature, corruption and the abuse of power is an ongoing discussion. When it comes down to the point where people are being used and abused physically and psychologically, it creates a hostile environment for both the subjects and the abuser. As represented in the two similar texts Lord Of the Flies and “I Only Came to use the Phone”, corrupted authority and abuse of power usually end up leading to the collapse of a society or a world of chaos and violence.
POWER: The capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the
When a person hears the word “power” the first thing that comes to mind is the words “obedience” and “commands.” Power in human society can easily appear as “evil” and not so much as freedom but not neither good nor bad. “Language of power” can not just appear as power but language being stronger than power. People can use language to produce truth and/or gain power over others. Language itself becomes a meaning of power in religious, political, social justice, and scientific. People use language as power by silencing, voicing in a vacuum, speaking as subversion and body languages. Language can be distinguished in the exercise of power.
Power is a misnomer. An attempt to adequately define power will ultimately reveal more about the invisible but all too real limits of language. Such a result may seem horrifying, a direct assault on our sense of reason, and, perhaps, it is. Power resists the reasonable request to adhere to the boundaries of its own definition. Power can and upon occasion does exhibit a quality or intensity observed and captured in the written word; yet there is something slippery which allows power to defy a totalizing description. Power is active. Write as we may, power will not be objectified. Any discourse on power thus begins with this disadvantage. There is much to be learned, however, from a study of power, knowledge more valuable than a simplistic definition. By focusing on where power exists and has existed we can also discuss how power relates to or has impact upon knowledge, ethics, and the individual.
Power is the ability of an individual or a group to influence the behavior of another individual/group to do something that they would not have done otherwise (Allen, 2010). Power is considered an entity ability to control its environment, with the behavior of other entities. For example, at workplace power is used as the main way of directing and controlling people’s behaviors toward attaining desired outcomes. Power is obtainable through personal characteristics and depending on the position one is holding within the organization.
Power, “possession of control, authority, or influence over others” as defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary. Power is truly powerful when held in the hands of one person. It can cause a divide amongst a country or even people in general. What really lies behind the true meaning of power is how it affects people, either negatively or positively. Ultimately causing people to feel differently depending on what is put into place by the one who holds the authority. I believe that power can always be corrupt in many types of ways, but it can be more harmful to some than others and therefore does not affect everyone equally.
From the above discussion, power as the ability to influence others has many faces, which various writers have tried to identify. Leaders need to understand the different sources of power so that they can be effective in their leadership roles. From the theories of power discussed in the paper, it is clear that power is precious and its exercise calls for responsibility.
POWER: Power means the ability to do some work in a qualitative way or to impose something on someone. In the context of organizations, the term POWER means the ability of some individual to impose his/her thoughts or impose some work on others. It plays an essential role in an organization in designing their policies, rules and other conditions. In an organization, as there are a number of people working, so to hold them together, to bring them under one umbrella, to guide them properly or to train them according to the firm’s condition, power plays a vital role. It works by utilizing all the mandatory resources of a firm.
Robert Dahl, a noteworthy defender of this perspective, characterizes power as happening in a circumstance where “A has control over B to the degree he can motivate B to accomplish something that B would not generally do (Luke, 1974:11). A’s power in this manner is defined regarding B and the degree to which wins is controlled by its higher proportion of “success” and “defeat” over B.
Power is defined as the possibility of imposing ones will upon the behaviour of other persons. Power is very complex, contextual, socially malign and socially essential. So why do we seek power? Power is sought so that one can advance their own interests; pass on their personal, religious and social values onto others and for the joy that comes with exercising it. There are three instruments of power described by Galbraith (1983) they are: Condign, compensatory and conditioned power. Galbraith (1983) also explains three sources of power which allow individuals or groups the right to exercise power. These sources are personality, property and organisation.