Different Views on Power - Term Paper Example

Power POWER Introduction Power is the ity given to an individual or a certain body to control over others. It is a phrase used widely in the day to day activities, for instance, power trip, power politics and many more others. However, very few connotations of power have positivity in its sense. According to Max Weber’s definition about power, he insinuates that with power any individual or social group can easily access an opportunity despite resistance from others regardless of where the opportunity lies. Due to this, power has been regarded to have innate features hence people have developed a notion that power is a leeway for privileges, wealth and even considering themselves to be of a superior race. Individuals have got the potential of changing the perception of how others perceive them more so in economic, gender and race affairs. Despite this, it doesn’t pose a hindrance to changing their lives and that of the associated communities. Power is considered to be the ability to act, identify and access in public achievement consent to develop public life. DIFFERENT VIEWS ON POWER Individual view Many people view power from a negative perspective while very few individuals view power from a positive perspective. According to Elizabeth Laneway, she claims that we are put off by power because we embrace fear and we think that we do not have the capacity to work with responsibilities associated with power. The famous phrase about power by Lord Action that, power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely has made many individuals to view power as a practice associated with social ills to the community. The fear enacted from power makes many people to remain isolated making thing they can change that are within their capacity to remain unchanged. This is because we fear responsibilities that are associated with power and hence give a chance to other people to make decisions rather that getting involved with that power so as to solve problem surrounding us. Power is a commodity that is dormant in each and every individual until one decides to exploit the potential and put it into action. Every individual has got the capacity to assimilate others hence effecting changes in communities hence providing long term solutions to community problems. Philosophers and theologians view Philosophers and theologians have a different view about power. They have intensified their research in trying to determine the concept of power and trying to bring out the real explanation pertaining power. They consider power to be a neutral term being neither good nor bad until it is applied to human acts. According to Fredric Nietzsche, a Germany philosopher, he explained power to be a creative force of human nature. On the other hand, Paul Tillich, a German theologian claimed power to have a direct association with life affirming. He further postulated that power actualized through force and compulsion. It is through this power that that human being are in the position to understand, define and control several issues that do happen in the world. According to Foucault, he compares power to be like a radio frequency. This is because it is a determinant that evaluates the personal view and view of others about the world around us. He also affirmed that power is not an oppressive force but was relied upon to change the life of several people ‘lives and the world as a whole, Linguistic point of view of power From a linguistic dimension, power has got different signifiers from different languages and cultures. English speakers for instance have got an irrelevant understanding of power because they use it as a noun or adjective according to Ed chambers while Spaniard speakers relate power to an action. According the definition in Oxford English Dictionary (OED), power is the ability to do something. As a result there is tension created between power as ability to act and power as force acting upon us. Since English and Spaniard speakers belong to different cultures, it implies that the there are different concepts and understandings related to power in the two culture since the two speakers belong to different cultures. Ordinariness of power Individuals associated with power have in a great way influenced decision making processes for their communities, helping them to solve problems associated with their communities. United states have been in the fore front in to produce ordinary individuals who identified problems in their societies and acted on them to resolve those problems. For instance, William Lloyd, Fredrick Douglas organized abolition movements. When it comes to solving problems on our communities, it becomes ineffective to start comparing oneself with historical icons and the mode of power they employed to determine how they solved community problems. This is because some icons employed indefinite modes to facilitate their decision making process in society. Power as relational Individuals with desire to work for public achievement are bound to realize that power is relational hence despite their race, wealth levels they are in a position to build trustable public relationship with the right people to change their communities and the world as a whole. To be a person of substance in society and world as a whole, it is worth noting that one should seek people with similar interest and strength to be able to effectively making desired changes in the world. For instance great and powerful people like Bill gates and Solos, seek out likeminded people to share with problematic issues affecting community and world in general hence drawing long term solutions to these problems. Public achievement has been endorsed to be a fundamental component in relation to power. As a result power mapping has been highly linked to the success of public achievement project. For the purpose of achieving democratic civic practice power mapping is the main element associated with its success. Power mapping entails on visualizing on individuals and organizations that have same interest of an issue that pertain your concerns. Conclusion Over time, the human race has struggled with the reality of power but in vain. Power does not mean exercising forceful acts over the weak individuals. It entails ability to negotiate and work with different people with different backgrounds for the common good of finding solutions to problematic matters associated with our communities and the world as a whole. Bibliography Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition. New York: Doubleday. 1958. Chambers, Ed and Michael Cowan. Roots for Radicals: Organizing for Power, Action and Justice. Continuum Publishing. 2003. Gecan, Michael. Going Public: An Inside Story of Disrupting Politics as Usual. Beacon Press. 2002. Janeway, Elizabeth. Powers of the Weak. New York: Knopf. 1980. Tillich, Paul. Love, Power and Justice: Ontological Analyses and Ethical Applications. New York: Oxford University Press. 1954 Weber, Max. Basic Concepts in Sociology: Concepts of Power and Domination. 1964. Read More