2021/03/24 by Arash Abizadeh · 1 voice · 4 citations
Social Sciences · #Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice #Political Philosophy and Ethics #Social and Cultural Dynamics
paper · doi:10.1177/0032321721996941
openalex publication_date 2021/03/24 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
There are two rival conceptions of power in modern sociopolitical thought. According to one, all social power reduces to power-over-others. According to another, the core notion is power-to-effect-outcomes, to which even power-over reduces. This article defends seven theses. First, agential social power consists in a relation between agent and outcomes (power-to). Second, not all social power reduces to power-over and, third, the contrary view stems from conflating power-over with a distinct notion: power-despite-resistance. Fourth, the widespread assumption that social power presupposes the capacity to overcome resistance is false: social power includes the capacity to effect outcomes with others’ assistance. Fifth, power-with can be exercised via joint intentional action, strategic coordination and non-strategic coordination. Sixth, agential social power is best analysed as a capacity to effect outcomes, with the assistance of others, despite the resistance of yet others. Seventh, power-over and power-with are not mutually exclusive: each can ground the other.