The Daily Power Game
Published on 11. October 1977
Book
Hardback
106 pages
978-90-207-0707-6 (ISBN)
Description
Politicians, social scientists, entrepreneurs, trade unionists, church leaders, philosophers, all of us in fact have caused such vast vague- ness and confusion about the term 'power' that this can hardly be attributed to mere chance. Apparently, there is so much at stake, whenever we think about power or are involved, that it may be worth our while to keep the concept blurred. This is most clearly seen in social science. Power, inequality in power, struggle for power are a kind of prime movers in social life, but power problems have seldom been studied, compared to the research done on other subjects, such as satisfaction about personal achievement, perception, mental processes, achievement motivation, cultural differences, etc. Power appears to be under a taboo in society and most social scientists agree not to discuss it (ref. 23, pp. 55 and 56). Whatever research there has been reveals the peculiar trend of restricting itself to the study of power differences and power struggles as world- or macro-problems. Studies of mondial problems have covered rela- tions between America and the Soviet Union, or between rich and poor countries. China has also been included of late.
The studies on macrostructural problems will cover subjects like the power of particular groups within the nation, such as retired army generals and politicians working in various sectors of trade and industry (ref. 21, pp. 11 and 281), or the number of representatives of large banks on the advisory boards of other companies (ref. 22).
Politicians, social scientists, entrepreneurs, trade unionists, church leaders, philosophers, all of us in fact have caused such vast vague- ness and confusion about the term 'power' that this can hardly be attributed to mere chance. Apparently, there is so much at stake, whenever we think about power or are involved, that it may be worth our while to keep the concept blurred. This is most clearly seen in social science. Power, inequality in power, struggle for power are a kind of prime movers in social life, but power problems have seldom been studied, compared to the research done on other subjects, such as satisfaction about personal achievement, perception, mental processes, achievement motivation, cultural differences, etc. Power appears to be under a taboo in society and most social scientists agree not to discuss it (ref. 23, pp. 55 and 56). Whatever research there has been reveals the peculiar trend of restricting itself to the study of power differences and power struggles as world- or macro-problems. Studies of mondial problems have covered rela- tions between America and the Soviet Union, or between rich and poor countries. China has also been included of late.
The studies on macrostructural problems will cover subjects like the power of particular groups within the nation, such as retired army generals and politicians working in various sectors of trade and industry (ref. 21, pp. 11 and 281), or the number of representatives of large banks on the advisory boards of other companies (ref. 22).
The studies on macrostructural problems will cover subjects like the power of particular groups within the nation, such as retired army generals and politicians working in various sectors of trade and industry (ref. 21, pp. 11 and 281), or the number of representatives of large banks on the advisory boards of other companies (ref. 22).
Politicians, social scientists, entrepreneurs, trade unionists, church leaders, philosophers, all of us in fact have caused such vast vague- ness and confusion about the term 'power' that this can hardly be attributed to mere chance. Apparently, there is so much at stake, whenever we think about power or are involved, that it may be worth our while to keep the concept blurred. This is most clearly seen in social science. Power, inequality in power, struggle for power are a kind of prime movers in social life, but power problems have seldom been studied, compared to the research done on other subjects, such as satisfaction about personal achievement, perception, mental processes, achievement motivation, cultural differences, etc. Power appears to be under a taboo in society and most social scientists agree not to discuss it (ref. 23, pp. 55 and 56). Whatever research there has been reveals the peculiar trend of restricting itself to the study of power differences and power struggles as world- or macro-problems. Studies of mondial problems have covered rela- tions between America and the Soviet Union, or between rich and poor countries. China has also been included of late.
The studies on macrostructural problems will cover subjects like the power of particular groups within the nation, such as retired army generals and politicians working in various sectors of trade and industry (ref. 21, pp. 11 and 281), or the number of representatives of large banks on the advisory boards of other companies (ref. 22).
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Dordrecht
Netherlands
Publishing group
Kluwer Academic Publishers Group
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
6figs.
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Width: 150 mm
Weight
280 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-207-0707-6 (9789020707076)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Content
1. The Theory of Inequality in Power and Struggle for Power.- The striving for power.- The struggle for power in keeping less powerful persons at a distance.- The struggle for power in reducing the distance to the more powerful person.- Reality, irreality and the costs of power.- Unintentional effects of participation.- Illegitimate power is identical to legitimate power.- Personality theory.- Effects of an imaginary short power distance.- Mutually reinforcing power mechanisms.- Equalization tendancies outside power relationships.- 2. Applied Research Methods.- The objectivity of researcher and method.- Simulated microsystems of inequality in power.- Field research on inequality in power.- 3. Research Results.- Satisfaction given by power.- Increase in power distance to the less powerful.- Reduction in power distance at a low level of reality.- Reduction in power distance at a high level of reality.- Power distance reduction theory as a theory of addiction.- The costs of power.- Participation; hopes and fears.- A preference for illegitimate power.- Personality theory and power distance.- Power distance reduction based on a mere image.- Counter-power of the less powerful.- Equalization tendencies: what is the model's message?.- 4. The Beginning and the End of the Addiction to Power.- Economically rational interpretation of power.- The power distance reduction theory and the struggle for power.- The addiction to power distance reduction.- The costs of the exercise of power.- Unsuccessful learning processes in participation procedure.- The quality of power.- Personality theory and power distance reduction.- Cognitive power distance theory; primitive power structures.- Equalization tendencies outside power relationships..- Future expectations; what do we want to learn.- Peace and happiness for each of the two power classes?.- Multiphase theory of social systems.- The counter-power of the powerless.- The power distance reduction theory as a learning strategy.- Basic Concepts.- The Sequence of Hypotheses in Power Distance Theory.