The power relationships that exist in modern society
are complex and dynamic. While earlier political theorists may have defined
power in terms of one group of individuals controlling others, this phenomenon may
not be so clearly evident in the interaction of individuals today .It can be
argued; as Dahl suggests; that the distribution of power is dual sided. Even
though most states maintain some form of control over their citizens through
the creation of rules and policies that limit behavior and promote their own interests,
in pluralistic settings like the democracies in the west, the power of the
government is influenced and checked by various factors such as public opinion,
lobbying and the existence of accountability systems such as the judiciary. While
in the past, power would be solely be in the control of a single ruler or king who
would possess ultimate authority; this is no longer the case.
Moreover, an examination of the nature of power that
is exercised in contemporary society suggests that the methods of exercising
power have changed. While states in the past may have relied on the use of
force and regulations to maintain control over individuals, as Louis Althusser suggests
the use of ideology and ideological state apparatuses such as the media, the political
system etc. that promote a certain sets of ideas and beliefs that perpetuate
the hegemony or dominance of one class over others is more apparent today. An example
of this is the power of the mass media in the United States. Research shows
that mainstream media generally tends to portray the attitudes and beliefs of the
owners dominant media corporations or media moguls. These views
are those that are possessed by the predominantly middle class, male and white population
or the ruling elite which vests them with considerable power.People follow these ideas not because they are forced too,but because they have been instilled in them. Therefore power may be more ideological than physical unlike Aristotle suggested.
In conclusion, the evolution of the nature of power suggests
that while power relationships do exist and are very real, they may not be as
easy to define or recognize as we once thought they were.
1 comment:
I like how you juxtapose traditional application of power - i.e. coercion - with a more modern application of power - i.e. ideological - and come to the conclusion that power relationships are considerably more complex in the modern era.
For future posts, please make sure to double check your formatting and grammar, as that will help promote your message.
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