Billera Blog 1

Simone Billera

February 3rd, 2022

Blog Post #1


The concept of power dynamics is a recurring theme within my courses here at Bucknell. Such a finding is unsurprising, simply because power dynamics are rooted in the depths of human nature, and therefore, inevitably intertwined in society. Within The Melian Dialogue by Thucydides, the topic of hierarchy in regards to power is discussed repeatedly, the most salient line being, “The strong do what they have the power to do, and the weak accept what they have to accept” (2). This line is especially interesting because it illustrates the vivid image that a hierarchy is a system of stagnance. Furthermore, it implies that the power relationship between those at the top and those at the bottom are perpetually fixed. When making such observations, I realized that similar concepts were discussed in another piece of class material. Enloe also examines these hierarchical positions of power, mentioning how people have a tendency to view them as natural. I liked his word usage here: natural. If hierarchical positions are natural, they are therefore considered unchangeable and engrained in the norms of society. 

I then realized that an additional piece of work similarly intertwines with the topic of fixed power dynamics. In my sociology course last semester, we learned about the reinforcement of hierarchical arrangements, Privilege by Shamus Khan being the text we analyzed in order to examine the concept. Khan’s research involved the observance of students at St. Pauls, a private boarding school in New Hampshire. Through his findings, he noticed that those who belonged to the elite class made their success seem natural and innate, therefore implying that the position into which one is born is unalterable. This creates a false image of success, a prosperity that can only be obtained by certain people who have the characteristics deemed necessary for such achievements. As a result, this also creates the idea that hierarchies are stagnant, which additionally makes mobility seem hopeless for those from lower classes. 

Khan’s findings about power and hierarchies directly relate to and intertwine with the comments of Thucydides and Enloe. Combining the observations from above, it seems as if words such as natural, at least when utilized to express power, is one of great toxicity. It is a confining false facade. In all honesty, hierarchies and power dynamics are an inevitable part of society and human nature, and this component of life will not cease to contribute to the social construction of our world. Therefore, in order to incorporate them into our society on a more positive level, hierarchies must be regarded as ladders, not ceilings. Additionally, the idea of mobility should be promoted to a greater extent. One must also learn to acknowledge that meritocratic ideals can be problematic because they ignore the ways in which other factors benefit or suppress people. As Khan states, “What seems natural is made, but access to that making is strictly limited.” Moreover, when talking about power, the words natural, fixed, stagnant, unalterable, and many others are destructive expressions that promote a hopeless rigidity we must make an effort to avoid. 

Comments

  1. Christine AjaoFebruary 9, 2022 at 8:38 AM

    I really liked how you included the different text from Shamus Khan and used it to compare to the power dynamics. I agree with how using the word "natural" implies and creates a false narrative that the power dynamics are permanent and undermines the potential of changing dynamics for the lower classes. Unfortunately, I believe that today some still believe in using words like "natural" and ignoring the idea of mobility for lower classes. This can be seen in today's society where things such as higher and quality education has a major power dynamic over those uneducated or not properly educated. Rather than fix and make quality education more accessible, others blame the lower class and exacerbate the issue by using words such as "natural" or "unalterable".

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    Replies
    1. Daniel Cohen February 9, 2022 at 10:31 AM

      While its hard to imagine a world where everyone is truly equal, at least through a sociological or economic sense, I agree that using any kind of hierarchy to in any way justify the position that power dynamics must exist in a certain way because they currently exist that way or have existed that way in the past is a shortsighted way to address the issue. The same applies to class struggles and other social issues; while there will most likely always be different classes in most modern societies, this is by no means a reason that any of these classes should suffer injustice, bias, or a lack of attention or public support.

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