Power and Powerlessness

Power is a broad concept that is used in many contexts, including sociological and psychological realms. The term power has become so expanded and widely used that some believe it has lost strength in its use and value. Diverse conceptualizations of the power construct exist, which are based on the differing theories and philosophies that are present in research and literature. Power may be described as the ability or practice of exerting control over others or as the capability to influence others. Power is also presented as an innate ability to take action to make changes in one's life or in a community, nation, or the world.

Three identified types of power include force, influence, and authority. Force may be put forth through physical power, psychological power, or social power. Influence suggests the exercise of personal power, and authority includes traditional authority, legal or rational authority, and authority based on a person's disposition. Power has further been described as being a strong influence in the exercise of oppression; that is, those who are in power are able to oppress those with less power. Conceptualizations of power are also demonstrated in self-efficacy, as power may influence the extent to which an individual believes he or she is able to carry out a particular task or goal. Power is viewed by some as an object and a possession to which some have ownership of and others do not. Others view power not as an object but rather as a position in a relationship or social milieu. Power may be viewed in various contexts as either real or perceived, and it can be described as either a fixed construct or a variable aspect of a social relationship.

The opposite of power is powerlessness. Powerlessness refers to the expectancy that people's behaviors cannot determine the outcomes or reinforcements that they seek. Powerlessness may further be explained as the lack of strength or the absence of power. People experiencing powerlessness may feel out of control and have no solution to regain control. Subsequent to feeling out of control comes the lack of capability to be in command of most aspects of one's life. Powerlessness also can be considered as the absence of complete authority or status to affect how others will act toward others. It is viewed by some that, when confronting powerlessness, individuals may be able to affect or change the negative behaviors (e.g., compulsions and addictions) of either themselves or others. Confronting and addressing powerlessness is believed by some to be what helps people to change past events that have had a negative impact on people's current lives, or to help people change things that they may have attempted to change in the past with little success. People may experience feelings of powerlessness when considering areas where they feel a lack of strength, competence, or skills to overcome realities in life that have no solution or answer. For example, people may feel powerlessness when considering persistent problems facing society that are not currently solvable, such as widespread violence and war or a cure for AIDS or cancer.

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