The ethics of the powerful and the power of ethics

Abstract

Power is a word used frequently in our society in general, and within Community Psychology in particular. We use phrases such as "those who have and those who do not have power," "she knows how to use her power," "he does not have power over his life," "she can do that because she is powerful." We also say that "power corrupts"; "that the powerful control," that "the poor do not have equal access to power," and that "they are in the seat of power." Within Community Psychology we speak of "unequal distribution of power," "how to empower others," and of "empowerment" as a core concept of our discipline.Beneath these expressions there are various underlying conceptualizations of power. In some it is conceived as an object that can be possessed, and which we transfer from one person or group to another. In others, it is thought of as an ability or capacity, the exercise of which fosters our development and the lack of which limits even our control over the most personal aspects of our life. Yet in others we speak of power as being housed in particular sites where many of us are unwelcome.Ethics is another popular term. We generally speak of "behaving ethically or unethically," of the "ethics of a profession," and of "ethical conflicts or dilemmas." It is usually used to refer to the good, appropriate, or desirable ways in which a person should act, and to the norms or rules that require human beings to act in valued ways. It is generally recognized that behaving ethically is full of philosophical and value-laden issues.

Transdisciplinary, multilevel action research to enhance ecological and psychopolitical validity

“…Although Community Psychology has had a significant role in defining and measuring the concept of empowerment (Rappaport, 1981;Perkins & Zimmerman, 1995), power itself has not been central in the discussion (Bostock & Smail, 1999;Serrano Garcia, 1994;andSpeer et al, 1995, 2003, are among exceptions). The ability of an individual or group to exercise self-interest within the community has been studied as ''decision-making power.''…”

The place and function of power in community psychology: philosophical and practical issues

“…Power is not something that is fixed with an individual. In fact, it has been argued that power is constituted within relations between people within broader historical, social, cultural, economic and political contexts (e.g., Flyvbjerg, 1998Flyvbjerg, , 2001Foucault, 1980;Serrano-Garcia, 1994). SerranoGarcia and Lopez offered a definition of power as a social relationship stating that it is 'characterized by two agents, within an historically asymmetrical material base, which are in conflict over a resource which one of them controls and other covets , quoted in Serrano-Garcia, 1994.…”

Power as a Structural Phenomenon

“…Specifically, in her presidential address to the Society for Research and Action, Serrano-Garcia (1994) defined power as ''a social relationship characterized by the presence of two agents, within an historically asymmetrical material base, which are in conflict over a resource which one of them controls and the other covets'' (p. 9). The exercise of relational power requires several prerequisites that, of particular interest to community psychologists, can be altered to produce social change (Serrano-Garcia 1994). First, relational power is presumed only to occur within the context of an asymmetric distribution of resources.…”

“…There is some disagreement about whether participants must be aware of the resources that underlie an exercise of power, or indeed whether they must be aware of the exercise of power itself. For example, Serrano-Garcia (1994) argues that participants must be conscious of the asymmetric distribution of resources, while Prilleltensky (2008) suggests that power can be ''overt or covert, subtle or blatant, hidden or exposed'' (p. 119). We agree with Prilleltensky that the exercise of power can frequently be covert or hidden, as it is in the most insidious forms of oppression, but again argue that this can be pushed further.…”

“…However, although many have adopted a focus on agents' actual ''power over'' resources, including the possession of resources and the ability to make decisions about their distribution, power nonetheless remains somewhat ambiguous. Indeed, at least three conceptions of ''power over'' have been offered in community psychology: social power (Speer and Hughey 1995), psychopolitical power (Prilleltensky 2008), and relational power (Serrano-Garcia 1994). Because each of these conceptions has its own orienting stance, definition of power, and central focus, it is difficult to understand precisely what it is that empowerment provides to individuals, organizations, and communities.…”