I. Definitions of Power
The ability to get things done or to influence outcomes. The ability
to affect and beaffected by the feelings, attitudes, beliefs, opinions
and behavior of others. .
-Don Freeman, Lancaster Theological Seminary
The ability to take one's place in whatever discourse is essential to action and the right to have one's part matter.
Carolyn Heilbrun, Writing a Woman’s Life
II. Key Principles/Assumptions About Power
1. No one is completely powerless; to be alive is to embody and exercise power.
2. Power exists between people. It does not lie in the individual, but in the social relationship.
3. Power is not a finite resource nor is it a distributable commodity; it is relational, fluid and difficult to measure.
4. Power itself is neither positive nor negative but it can be used constructively or destructively.
5. The denial of one's power is a small step away from the abuse of it. It is critical to be aware of, and acknowledge, one's power.
6. Significant power inequities become occasions for the abuse of power. Over time, these inequities are destructive to people and relationships.
7. Individuals internalize societal patterns of domination and oppression and are shaped by their membership in a particular identity group. But individuals are not completely defined by this identity since each also has the power to act in his/her own interests.
8. Constructive conflict transformation will work from or towards a relative balance of power.
9. God's desired order is a domination-free order.
with thanks to John Paul Lederach; Juliana Birkhoff; and Hocker and Wilmot, "Interpersonal Conflict"
III Kinds of Power
• Exploitative power—power upon; literal use of physical force or threat to use such force with apparent intent to do so if necessary.
• Manipulative power—power over; use of promises or threats involving the interests, desires, needs or other wants of the other person(s) or group, but short of the use of force as such; often indirect or implied.
• Competitive power—power against: contesting to win against another of relatively equal power by superior application of one's own power or deflection or diminution of the other's power.
• Nutritive or nutrient power—power for: use of one's own power for the empowerment of another or development of the other's power.
• Collaborative or coalescent or coalitional power—power with:
pooling power together to increase the
likelihood of mutually desired ends.
drawn from Rollo May, Power and Innocence, and Don Freeman, Lancaster Theological Seminary
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IV. Sources of Power
1. Formal authority. The power that derives from a formal position within a structure that confers certain deci-sion-making prerogatives. This is the power of a judge, an elected official, a CEO, a parent or a school principal.
2. Expert/information power. The power that is derived from having expertise in a particular area or information about a particular matter.
3. Associational power (or referent power). The power that is derived from association with other people with power.
4. Resource power. The control over valued resources (money, materials, labor, or other goods or services). The negative version of this is the ability to deny needed resources or to force others to expend them.
5. Procedural power. The control over the procedures by which decisions are made, separate from the control over those decisions themselves (for instance, the power of a judge in a jury trial).
6. Sanction power. The ability (or perceived ability) to inflict harm or to interfere with a party's ability to realize his or her interests.
7. Nuisance power. The ability to cause discomfort to a party, falling short of the ability to apply direct sanctions.
8. Habitual power. The power of the status quo that rests on the premise that it is normally easier to maintain a particular arrangement or course of action than to change it.
9. Moral power. The power that comes from an appeal to widely held values. Related to this is the power that results from the conviction that one is right.
10. Personal power. The power that derives from a variety of personal attributes that magnify other sources of power, including self-assurance, the ability to articulate one's thoughts and understand one's situation, one's determination and endurance, and so forth.
from Bernard Mayer, The Dynamics of Power in Mediation and Negotiation,. in C.W. Moore, editor, Practical Strategies for the Phases of Mediation, Mediation Quarterly, vol. 16. Jossey-Bass Inc., 1987).
V. Power and Conflict Transformation
Power is integral to all conflict. Conflict transformation practitioners must become aware of their own power, their assumptions about power and the values and goals they bring to conflict situations. They must also explicitly assess how power is operating in the conflictive relationships, evaluate their own role, and seek the appropriate process in conflicts of significant power imbalance.
In each conflict situation, it is important to ask questions such as: What are the sources of power for those in conflict? Is there a significant power imbalance? Is power being misused or abused? How can the less powerful become more empowered? What intervention is most appropriate?
The criteria for evaluating any conflict transformation process should be whether it moves the situation toward more justice and the people involved toward right and equal relationships.
Carolyn Schrock-Shenk • MCS 2000
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