Beyond the Power Mystique : Power As

Despite the considerable attention given to 'power' by foundational sources such as Machiavelli, Hobbs, Weber, Durkheim, and Marx, and those social theorists who have built on their works, surprisingly little attention has been given to the study of power as an enacted feature of community life. Locating power more directly within a symbolic interactionist framework, Beyond the Power Mystique not only enables scholars to permeate much of the mystique shrouding power but, explicitly viewing power as intersubjective accomplishment, the material presented here fosters a research agenda that is highly attentive to the collectively articulated aspects of power relations.

Consideration is given to the ways in which power is brought into existence, implemented, experienced, sustained, objectified, resisted, dissipated, and reconstituted in actual practice. Addressing the full range of associations occurring in all human arenas, from small group settings to large scale theaters of operations, this volume provides a conceptually viable means of synthesizing so-called

Robert Prus is Prolessor of Sociology at the University of Waterloo, Ontario.

Foreword

xi

Marvin Scott

Preface

xiii

PART I INTRODUCTION

Power and Human Interchange

3

(14)

Toward an Interactionist Conceptualization of Power

6

(1)

The World of Human Lived Experience

7

(2)

Power as Intersubjective Accomplishment

9

(1)

Overviewing the Chapters

10

(7)

PART II The Power Motif

Structuralist Variants in the Literature

17

(48)

Rational Order Structuralism

20

(9)

Max Weber

Emile Durkheim

Talcott Parsons

Robert Merton

Anthony Giddens

Synthetic Order Theorists

The Stratificationists

The Exchange (and Equity) Theorists

Power Motifs within the Marxist Nexus

29

(23)

Acknowledging Fundamentalist Orientations

Postmodernist Ventures

Cultural Studies

Marxist-Feminism

Pluralist Offshoots (Mills, Dahrendorf, Lukes, and Clegg)

Robert Michels and Columbia Socialism

Is There a Way Out?

Conceptual Limitations

52

(13)

Tactical Themes in the Social Sciences

65

(24)

The Compliance and Influence Literature in Psychology

65

(3)

Collectivist Approaches

68

(9)

Georg Simmel

Robert Park

Herbert Blumer

Neil Smelser

Orrin Klapp

John McCarthy and Mayer Zald

Bert Klandermans and John Lofland

Carl Couch and Clark McPhail

Ralph Turner and Associates

Interest Group Dynamics and Political Arenas

77

(1)

Mass Communication Themes

78

(4)

Community Studies

82

(2)

Conceptual Limitations

84

(5)

Enduring Tactical Themes

89

(34)

Acknowledging Early Greek (and Roman) Roots

90

(15)

Providing Political Advice: Machiavelli and De Callieres

105

(3)

Other Purveyors of Advice

108

(2)

In Context

110

(13)

PART III POWER AS INTERSUBJECTIVE ACCOMPLISHMENT

Attending to Human Interchange

123

(44)

The Interactionist Paradigm

124

(21)

Orientational Premises

Common Misconceptions

Subcultural Mosaics and Intersubjective Realities

The Ethnographic Quest for Intersubjectivity

Generic Dimensions of Association

Interactionist Materials on Power

145

(7)

Envisioning Power in Interactionist Terms

152

(7)

Power as Definitional

Power as Processual

Associated Problematics

In Perspective

159

(8)

Engaging in Tactical Enterprise

167

(42)

Assuming Tactical Orientations

171

(1)

Enhancing Practices

172

(12)

Formulating Plans and Making Preparations

Attending to Target Circumstances

Shaping Images of Reality (and Invoking Deception)

Cultivating Relationships

Focusing Procedures

184

(2)

Indicating Lines of Action

Promoting Target Interests

Neutralizing and Debasing Strategies

186

(2)

Leveraging Tactics

188

(10)

Establishing Consensus

Usurping Agency

Using Inducements and Other Treatments

Bargaining with Targets

Appealing to Existing Relationships and Community Affiliations

Autonomizing Endeavors

198

(1)

Exercising Persistence and Experiencing Openness

199

(10)

Exercising Persistence

Experiencing Tactical Openness

Extending the Theater of Operations

209

(42)

Working with Third-Party Agents

210

(4)

Consulting with Third Parties

Obtaining Representatives (Agents)

Making Third-Party Referrals

Pursuing Adjudication

Developing Collective Ventures

214

(4)

Establishing Associations

Objectifying Associations

Encountering Outsiders

Generating (and Enforcing) Policy

218

(3)

Pursuing Positional Control

221

(4)

Promoting Totalizing Associations

225

(3)

Using the Media

228

(3)

Developing Political Agendas

231

(10)

Implementing Governmental Forums

Invoking Military Operations

Establishing Control Agencies

In Context

241

(10)

Experiencing Target Roles (with Lorraine Prus)

251

(20)

Assuming Target Roles

251

(5)

Defining Self as Subject to Influence

Acknowledging the Receptive Self

Experiencing the Vulnerable Self

Developing a Restrained Self

Deploying the Elusive Self

Invoking the Tactician Self

256

(3)

Initiating Activity toward [Tacticians]

Resisting Tacticians

Claiming Target Status

Assuming Competitive Stances

259

(2)

Participating in Collective Events

261

(4)

In Perspective

265

(6)

Engaging the Power Motif

271

(8)

References

279

(38)

Index of Names

317

(7)

Index of Terms

324

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Beyond the Power Mystique : Power As Intersubjective Accomplishment

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials