Blackwell Reference Online

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In contemporary sociology, the term power is used in two distinct but interrelated ways. In the broadest usage, power refers to a structural capacity for an actor A to cause any change in the behavior of another actor B ( Weber 1968 ). This meaning of power captures the potential for power to be exercised or not in social interaction. The second meaning refers to a concrete event in which one individual benefits at the expense of another. Modern theorists refer to such events as power use or power exercise . Importantly, both meanings imply that power is a relational phenomenon. Thus, theories of power take as their focus the relationship between two or more actors, and not the characteristics of actors themselves. Although the terms are sometimes conflated, power is theoretically distinct from other relational concepts such as influence (which is voluntarily accepted), force (wherein the target has no choice but to comply), and authority (which involves a request from a legitimate social position). French and Raven (1968) recognized these distinctions over four decades ago, and they remain useful today. Theories of power cross many ideological and epistemological lines. As a result, this literature has seen many debates. Theorists have contemplated whether power is best conceptualized as (1) a potential or something that must be used; (2) “forward looking” calculated ... log in or subscribe to read full text