The ghosts of power..
"power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
To Warriors,
“The day the power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace” -Mahatma Gandhi
With respect to the quote above and to the father of peaceful resolutions (Gandhi), the love of power is stronger than the power of love and the love of power drives people to obtain it at all costs so it is important for us to understanding power relations in social environments, this is crucial for geopolitical analysts as well as for anthropologists in the study of humankind with respect to the past, present and the future. The interactions between people in a community or society have led to a social construct where hegemony is present as order is necessary to create well functioning economy.
There are always power relations between father and son, teacher and student, appointed leader and subject, government and citizen, etc. You will find that in most situations that involve rapport between two individuals there are power dynamics at play and it is crucial to understand these so as to be able to guide reconciliation process and also balance the power out. As Mayer, (2012) puts it succinctly; “power is the currency of conflict”. Conflict situations always involve the usage of power and the way others respond to power, according to Mayer, (2012), power can be used as either “intentionally or unconsciously, collaboratively or coercively, obviously or implicitly, constructively or destructively” (Mayer, 2012).
The nature of power can depend upon how the power is distributed, how it is viewed, and how it is used. There can be power struggles between those that feel very powerful and those that feel that they have little to no power. The different individual perceptions of power within any situation can affect communication and also affects the conflict and resolution as a whole. According to Mayer, (2012), Power can be used in three distinct ways: normative approach (persuasion), utilitarian approach (reward), and the coercive approach (punishment) (Mayer, 2012).
Power can be said to be good or bad, according to Kriesberg and Dayton, (2012), power can be a way of achieving a common goal in a society or it can be the control, order with one group often telling the other what to do or dictating to them how they should act or interact (Kriesberg and Dayton, 2012), so it is evident that power should be used wisely and not be abused. Power brings about hegemonic structures as pointed out by Redekop, (2002), where a hegemonic structure is made up of a governing group and an oppressed group (Redekop, 2002). This in itself brings about conflict as one group may see themselves as being cheated upon and subjected to the other rule. This caused the war in South Sudan in 2013, where there were power struggles between the president and the vice-president to control the state and its resources, we also see the same thing happening in Ethiopia, as a struggle is ensuing between the Tigray region and the present Ethiopian government. According to Kriesberg and Dayton, (2012), people with power have an authority figure in the society; this authority is given to them through offices they occupy and because of the authority people with power possess, they have status in the society and all this can be used as an ill means to gather wealth, status and control which makes power all the more dangerous and conflict prone. Power is also evident in the Self-other dynamics mentioned by Redekop, (2002), where “the other” have little to no power and look up to the dominant group which automatically gives them more power to tell the other what to do and in directing or shaping their lives.
Power is complex; in conflict situations, they can be used to extend ones choices while also the more choices one have, the more power is conferred on the individual (Mayer, 2012). It is very crucial to understand the role of power in social interactions so as to understand the relationship between different parties and in order to come to an agreement as “everyone brings power to a conflict” as put by Mayer, (2012) so in order for a peaceful resolution or agreement it is useful to be able to point out the different actors and the power they possess. So as to bring all of them to the table in order to settle amicably.
Power can be used to escalate or de-escalate any situation with the use or hoarding of information, resources, communication, authority, networks, skills and expertise, location, etc (Fisher et al, 2000). There has to be a balance with the use of power, we definitely do not want to be the Machiavellian type where we cannot trust anyone and use it in a deceitful and manipulative way.
It is imperative to understand the nature and use of power as to be informed when it is being deployed to control, coerce or submit our will under duress. A pertinent example is the current case many of us are battling at the moment in various countries, where some governments have mandated its citizens to undergo an experimental injection that is not effective and likely favors the pharmaceutical industry to our detriment. The power at play is evident through the enforcement (“the carrot and stick approach”), the limiting of rights and privileges, the lack of freedom, the mass propaganda system of reminders, etc. The fascinating strategy of this current power dynamic is the element of division amongst family members or communities as some have taken it upon themselves to channel the government’s role and use the opportunity to exert power to correct others who seem to object the mandates. I believe the term used for conformists that are usually susceptible to government narratives is “useful idiot”.
The power of government everywhere is growing at a rapid pace to authoritarian and draconian levels.
It is fast approaching the time where the courageous warriors are behooved to coalesce and throw a spanner in the works of nefarious agendas.
See you tomorrow!
- Ope
References;
Fisher, Simon, Dekha Ibrahim Abdi, Jawed Ludin, Richard Smith, Steve Williams, and Sue Williams. Working with Conflict: Skills and Strategies for Action. Zed Books, 2000.
Kriesberg, Louis and Bruce W. Dayton. Constructive Conflicts: From Escalation to Resolution, 4th ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2012.
Mayer, Bernard. The Dynamics of Conflict: A Guide to Engagement and Intervention, 2nd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2012.
Redekop, Vern Neufeld. From Violence to Blessing: How an Understanding of Deep-Rooted Conflicts Can Open Paths of Reconciliation. Novalis, 2002.
Wilmot, W., & Hocker, J. (2007). Interpersonal conflict seventh edition. New York City: McGraw Hill Publications.
masterfully written.