power

power
(social) The power of an individual or institution is the ability to achieve something, whether by right or by control or influence. Power is the ability to mobilize economic, social, or political forces in order to achieve a result. It can be measured by the probability of that result being achieved in the face of various kinds of obstacle or opposition. It is not essential to this definition that the result be consciously intended by the powerful agent: power may be exercised unknowingly, although of course it is frequently deliberate. However, in the views of some theorists, notably Foucault, all social relations are systems of power: fundamental power is not exercised by individuals, but is a dispersed, impersonal aspect of society, and in particular is manifested in the modes of surveillance, regulation, or discipline that adapt human beings to the surrounding social structure. The power of society is not limited to its ability to prevent people doing things, but it includes control of the self-definition and preferred way of living of its members. A principal concern of political theory is to determine when the exercise of power is legitimate; this is often posed as the problem of distinguishing authority from power. See also exploitation, oppression.

Philosophy dictionary. . 2011.

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  • power — is the concept which is at the heart of the subject of social stratification . It is therefore not surprising that we have seen so many disputes concerning its meaning (including disputes about what particular sociologists meant when they used… …   Dictionary of sociology

  • power — n 1 Power, force, energy, strength, might, puissance mean the ability to exert effort for a purpose. Power is the most general of these terms and denotes an ability to act or be acted upon, to effect something, or to affect or be affected by… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Power — Pow er, n. [OE. pouer, poer, OF. poeir, pooir, F. pouvoir, n. & v., fr. LL. potere, for L. posse, potesse, to be able, to have power. See {Possible}, {Potent}, and cf. {Posse comitatus}.] 1. Ability to act, regarded as latent or inherent; the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • POWER — (сокр. от англ. Performance Optimization With Enhanced RISC)  микропроцессорная архитектура с ограниченным набором команд (RISC), разработанная и развиваемая компанией IBM. Название позже было расшифровано как Performance Optimization… …   Википедия

  • power — [pou′ər] n. [ME pouer < OFr poeir, earlier poter, orig. inf. < VL * potere, to be able, for L posse, to be able: see POTENT] 1. ability to do, act, or produce 2. a specific ability or faculty [the power of hearing] 3. great ability to do,… …   English World dictionary

  • Power — (englisch für Kraft, Macht, Energie) oder Teststärke beschreibt in der Statistik die Aussagekraft eines statistischen Tests. Die Teststärke gibt an, mit welcher Wahrscheinlichkeit ein Signifikanztest zugunsten einer spezifischen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Power — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Power (en castellano: poder) puede referirse a: Contenido 1 Cine 2 Apellido 3 Informática 4 Véase también …   Wikipedia Español

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  • power — ► NOUN 1) the ability to do something or act in a particular way. 2) the capacity to influence other people or the course of events. 3) a right or authority given or delegated to a person or body. 4) political authority or control. 5) physical… …   English terms dictionary

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