Ethan Nguyen, Week 9 - Power Mechanics
Power is an interesting and, well, a powerful word. It has many meanings in its many contexts.
However, I’m not talking about electricity or the energy used to do work. I’m talking about the power that people can exert in society.
In society, power comes in many forms. There is power in one’s political status, economic status, social status and relations, or even knowledge. Power can come from connections with established individuals, or even one’s gender. This power allows these individuals with it to do things individuals without that power may not have been able to do.
They could, for example, popularize a diet. Social status, or even being known as an expert in a scientific field, lets this happen. Or perhaps they could influence legislature of the government. Or even just being able to eat what they want everyday. In an essence, it’s the ability to make things happen and/or control things.
Power can catalyze reform for the betterment of society. Political figures can use their status to reach many people to spread reformative action. Social policies such as financial aid and public infrastructure are examples of these.
Power, having its benefits, is a double edged sword. As power is not equally distributed within society, abuses of power are therefore possible.
Take the example of nepotism. Nepotism, enabled directly by the power from connections and relations, is the favoritism of one’s family, such as in government jobs or positions. This type of corruptions allows for an endless cycle of power for the abuser’s family.
The concept of power is a multifaceted force that carries influence throughout society. This awareness is necessary to maneuver ethically throughout society.
I liked the start of your blog as it was engaging. I do agree that power is a very strong word itself and has more than one meaning behind the word. My blog has a similar idea about power coming into various forms and you focused on various types of power. In my blog, I focused more on the power of wealth but in your blog, you focused on multiple forms of power. Power is one of the most dangerous device and I liked how you emphasized this idea by explaining people with power can do anything that powerless people are not capable of. I also liked how you used very precise examples of the many ways people can manipulate the use of power. Power does allow many people to make things under their control causing power to be such a harmful tool. Power in politics always leads to corruption and many civil conflicts. Once again you used specific illustrations such as nepotism, which helped strengthen your claim about power. The use of double-edged made the tone humorous, making it an enjoyable read. Power needs to be equally divided so no one can use it to their advantage. Your blog was well written with a great transition from different manners in which power is a dangerous tool to multiple various evidence throughout the blog. Overall your blog was thoughtful and had a unique topic.
ReplyDeleteHi Ethan. I liked how you structured your blog into small paragraphs as this made your blog engaging and easily readable. I appreciate the various examples you included about what power could do. For instance, you mentioned how a diet can be popularized through a powerful person. This person could be a famous celebrity or athlete who has many fans or followers which gives them power. I agree with you on how power is a double-edged sword. As people with power can do many beneficial things, power in the wrong hands can do equally damaging things. Therefore, I think it is crucial that in our society and communities we are mindful and aware about who we give power to. Overall, I enjoyed reading your blog. Thank you for sharing!
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