The concept of “power” is a difficult one to place within our ontology of the social world. We have a pretty good idea of what we mean by institutions and structures – the relatively fixed social rules and constraints within which people engage in social activity; and we understand the ideas of agency and social action. But where does power come into this ontology? Is it a feature of institutions and structures? Does it attach to individuals and groups? Is it a feature of direct social relationships, or is it a structural feature conferring specific “powers” upon individuals? Does it depend on material aspects of society or is it equally a feature of mentality and subjectivity?
There are aspects of all of these dimensions in the very ordinary statements we make about power, so it is difficult to offer a simple definition or analysis of the concept. And almost uniquely among social constructs, the concept of power attaches to both poles of structure and agency.
So what is "power"? It is "access to social and material resources that permit an individual or group to control or influence social outcomes, including the behavior of other individuals and groups, the distribution of things, and the configuration of social institutions." The exercise of power implies a conflict of wills; those exercising power are intending to secure actions and outcomes by others against their will, preferences, or interests. Power is needed to get 1.5 million people to leave their homes in Beijing to make way for Olympics developments. Power is needed to prevent striking miners from shutting down La Paz. Power is needed to protect the glittering shop windows of Johannesburg from disaffected young people. Power is exercised by states -- through military and police, through agencies and bureaucracies, through legislation; it is exercised by corporations and other large private organizations; and it is exercised by social movements and other groups within society.
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* Daniel Little is a philosopher of social science at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. His work attempts to understand human societies and the nature of social change. *
