On Power: An Article Critique

Bierstedt (1974) perceived power as both sociological and a moral problem. As such, he considered the roots of power to lie in the social community, as opposed to residing in any specific individual or institution. Bierstedt (1974) also recognized the existence of several manifestations of social powerùpolitical, economic, financial, industrial, and military power. He concluded that power is rarely absent in any situation involving social interaction.

In this article, Bierstedt (1974) considered power in four different contextsùas prestige, as influence, as dominance, and as force and authority. With respect to prestige, Bierstedt (1974) concluded that power and prestige are not synonymous, but are, in fact, separate and independent variables, each of which may exist in the absence of the other.

Bierstedt (1974) also drew distinctions between power and influence. While he characterized influence as persuasive, he characterized power as coercive. Again, as Bierstedt (1974) concluded with respect to power and prestige, he concluded that power and influence are separate an independent variables each of which may exist in t

. . .
to an understanding of social systems (Babbie, 1992). The social meaning paradigm views "social life as a process of interactions among individuals" (Babbie, 1992, p. 56). Symbolic interactionism emphasizes connections between shared meanings, or symbols, and actions and communications, or interactions (LaRossa & Reitzes, 1993). Within a social group, individuals develop both their own self-concept and individual identity through social interactions within the group structure. Identity refers to "self-meanings in a role" (LaRossa & Reitzes, 1993, p. 145). Roles are "shared norms applied by occupants of social positions" (LaRossa & Reitzes, 1993, p. 147). Meaning, thus, "arises in the process of interaction between people" (LaRossa & Reitzes, 1993, p. 143). Meanings are "modified through an interpretive process used by the person with things he or she encounters" (LaRossa & Reitzes, 1993, p. 143). The interpretive process relies on the use of symbols. Symbolic interactionists hold that human action cannot be understood apart from the subjective interpretations assigned to situations by the individuals involved in those situations (LaRossa & Reitzes, 1993). These subjective interpretations are derived from the definition o
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
LaRossa Reitzes, Similarly Bierstedt, Paradigms Bierstedt's, Hall Simons, Position Bierstedt, Consider Bierstedt, Robert Bierstedt, bierstedt 1974, Celia Structured, McGraw-Hill Inc, Publishing Company, perception power, reitzes 1993, bierstedt's 1974, larossa reitzes, coercive diplomacy, larossa reitzes 1993, babbie 1992, social exchange, social meaning, 1974 perception power, 1974 perception, bierstedt's 1974 perception, social meaning paradigm, social exchange paradigm,
Approximate Word count = 1765
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

More Essays on On Power: An Article Critique