"Power is the social production of an effect that determines the capacities, actions, beliefs, or conduct of actors."
The ability to influence and control the behaviour of others, often related to social status and privilege.
Power dynamics: Understanding the ways in which power is distributed and exercised within a society or group.
Ideology: The collection of beliefs, values, and ideas that shape a society's understanding of power and how it should be exercised.
Social stratification: The hierarchical classification of individuals or groups in a society according to factors like wealth, status, or occupation.
Social control: The means by which social institutions and individuals exert influence over a society's members, often through pressure or coercion.
Patriarchy: A social system in which men hold primary power and privilege.
Race and power: The ways in which race intersects with power dynamics and shapes social hierarchies.
Gender and power: The ways in which gender intersects with power dynamics and shapes social hierarchies.
Class and power: The ways in which economic class intersects with power dynamics and shapes social hierarchies.
Colonialism and power: The ways in which colonial powers exerted control over colonized peoples and territories.
Globalization and power: The ways in which power dynamics are shaped by global economic, political, and cultural trends.
Resistance and power: The ways in which marginalized groups resist dominant power structures and attempt to claim their own sources of power.
Intersectionality: The concept that individuals have multiple identities and experiences that intersect to shape their experiences of power in complex ways.
Discourse and power: The ways in which language and communication are used to shape power dynamics and shape social reality.
Structural and institutional power: The ways in which power is embedded within social structures and institutions like the government, the media, or the education system.
Power and identity: The ways in which power relations shape individual and group identities and experiences, and vice versa.
Social movements and power: The ways in which collective action and social movements have challenged and shaped power dynamics throughout history.
Symbolic power: The ways in which systems of symbols, meaning, and representation shape power dynamics and social reality.
Postcolonial theory: A critical approach to understanding power relations between colonizers and colonized peoples, often informed by an examination of the ways in which colonial powers constructed and represented colonized societies.
Foucauldian theory: A theoretical framework that emphasizes the ways in which power operates through discourse, knowledge, and the construction of subjectivity.
Critical race theory: An approach to understanding power dynamics that emphasizes the ways in which race intersects with other forms of oppression and shapes social reality.
Coercive Power: This is power that derives from the ability to use force, punishment or threat. The person with coercive power can force others to comply with their demands because they have the ability to inflict harm or punishment.
Legal Power: This comes from having control over the law and being able to define what is legal or illegal. Those who hold legal power are able to use it to create, change or enforce laws and regulations that affect society.
Economic Power: This is power that comes from controlling resources, wealth and the distribution of goods and services. Those who control economic power can use it to influence political decisions, shape social norms and control the direction of economic growth.
Political Power: This is power that comes from being in a position of authority within a political system. Those who hold political power are able to make decisions that affect society and are responsible for governing and administering laws and regulations.
Diplomatic Power: This is power that comes from being able to negotiate with other nations and international organizations. Diplomatic power allows nations to influence the decisions and policies of other nations and organizations through negotiations, treaties or agreements.
Soft Power: This is power that comes from the ability to persuade and influence others through cultural, moral and ideological means. This type of power is derived from an attractive persona and an ability to lead or inspire others.
Expert Power: This is power that comes from having specialized knowledge or expertise in a specific field. Those who have this type of power can influence others by demonstrating their abilities and knowledge.
Informational Power: This is power that comes from controlling or accessing information. Those who have informational power can influence others by withholding or sharing information that can affect others' decision-making processes.
Charismatic Power: This is power that comes from having an attractive and charismatic personality. Those who have charismatic power can influence others through their personality, charm and charisma.
"Power does not exclusively refer to the threat or use of force (coercion) by one actor against another."
"Power may also be exerted through diffuse means (such as institutions)."
"Power may also take structural forms, as it orders actors in relation to one another."
"Discursive forms of power exist as categories and language may lend legitimacy to some behaviors and groups over others."
"The term authority is often used for power that is perceived as legitimate or socially approved by the social structure."
"Power can be seen as evil or unjust; however, power can also be seen as good and as something inherited or given for exercising humanistic objectives that will help, move, and empower others as well."
"Scholars have distinguished between soft power and hard power."
"Power is the social production of an effect that determines the capacities, actions, beliefs, or conduct of actors."
"Power may also be exerted through diffuse means (such as institutions)."
"Power takes structural forms, as it orders actors in relation to one another."
"Categories and language may lend legitimacy to some behaviors and groups over others."
"The term authority is often used for power that is perceived as legitimate or socially approved by the social structure."
"Power can be seen as evil or unjust; however, power can also be seen as good."
"Power can be inherited or given for exercising humanistic objectives that will help, move, and empower others."
"Power can also be seen as good and as something inherited or given for exercising humanistic objectives that will help, move, and empower others."
"Scholars have distinguished between soft power and hard power."
"Power may take structural forms, discursive forms, and can be exerted through diffuse means."
"Power orders actors in relation to one another (such as distinguishing between a master and an enslaved person, a householder and their relatives, an employer and their employees, a parent and a child, a political representative and their voters...)."
"The term authority is often used for power that is perceived as legitimate or socially approved by the social structure."