“Power and Powerlessness”
John Gaventa
Power and Participation
Explaining Quiescence
Why, in circumstances of inequality, do challenges to that inequality not
always occur? “What is there in certain situations of social deprivation that
prevents issues from arising, grievances from being voiced, or interests from
being recognized?”
How do we explain inaction in the face of inequality. This is the key question
Gaventa is attempting to answer.
Power and Participation
Gaventa Thesis: Political Participation Shaped by Power (4)
“In situations of inequality, the political response of the deprived group or
class may be seen as a function of power relationships…”
Protocols of Persuasion
What is the Nature of Power? (4)
Lukes: Three dimensions or faces of power.
1) First: Pluralists
2) Second: Agenda-Setting
3) Third: Hegemony
Three Faces of Power
1) One-Dimensional Approach: Pluralists (5)
Theory of Power: A has power over B to the extent that A can get
B to do something he otherwise would not do.
Characteristics of A Plural System:
1) Grievances are freely acted upon, when they develop.
2) System is open “to virtually every group”
3) Leaders function not as “elites,” but as
representatives and may be studied as such.
Three Faces of Power
1) One-Dimensional Approach: Pluralists (5)
Theory of Non-Participation: Since system is open, and there is no block no
getting involved, non-participation is thought to result from inertia, or
apathy. That is, it results from some personal defect of those who do not
participate. (6-7)
Three Faces of Power
Two-Dimensional Approach: Agenda-Setting (8)
Schattschneider: non-participation results from the “suppression of options.”
“Whoever decides what the game is about also decides who gets in the
game.” (8-9)
Three Faces of Power
Two-Dimensional Approach: Agenda-Setting (8)
Bachrach and Baratz: Power works to shape not only who is included and
excluded, but also which issues and problems are included and excluded.
(9)
Three Faces of Power
Two-Dimensional Approach: Agenda-Setting (8)
Mobilization of Bias:
Organizations are designed to favor certain individuals or issues and
disadvantage others.
Example: US Steel and Air Pollution (9)
Gary Indiana: People did not pursue air pollution issue, or challenge US
Steel because of its assumed power. “The reputation for power may have
been more important than its exercise. It could have enabled US Steel to
prevent political action without taking action itself.” (9)
Three Faces of Power
Alternate Theory of non-participation
Inaction is related to power:
Limits of Second Face: Does not Consider How Power May Effect
Conception of Grievances (10-11)
It failures to see that the absence of a grievance may itself be a consequence
of power. (11)
Three Faces of Power
Three-Dimensional Approach: Hegemony (11)
Theory of Power: “Not only might A exercise power over B by prevailing in
the resolution of a key issue, but also through affecting B’s conceptions of
issues altogether.”
A over B
Power is ability not only to get B to do A wants, whether B wanted to or
not, but to directly shape what B wants, or thinks “he” wants. (12)
Three Faces of Power
Three-Dimensional Approach: Hegemony (11)
This type of control may happen in absence of conflict, which has been
averted.
Theory of Participation
Theory of Power cannot focus on actually behavior: it must consider also the
way in which “potential” conflicts or debates are avoided, or prevented
from ever occurring. (12)
Both 2nd and 3rd faces of Power help us explain inaction in the face of
inequality.
Three Faces of Power
Face of Power
Features
Inaction
Pluralism
System is unfair,
but open. You can
act on your
grievances.
Apathy, and
ignorance.
Agenda-Setting
Those who control Rational
the agenda, control calculation.
policy outcomes.
Hegemony
Those who shape
perception, define
what is politically
possible.
Consequences of
power: grievances
are not recognized.