Power-Dependence Relations

Power-dependence relations refers to exchange relations between actors, emphasizing the dynamics of power in those relations. The term comes from a seminal 1962 article by Richard Emerson that introduced the relationship between power and dependence in exchange relations as a key element of the perspective in sociology known as exchange theory, and the cornerstone of most approaches to the study of exchange in networks. The analysis of power and dependence in exchange relations is applicable to any realm of social interaction in which entities exchange. Consequently, it has been used and developed in a number of areas of sociology. This includes relations between parents and between parents and children in studies of the family; relations between employees and between bosses and employees within formal organizations; ...