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3.4: Chapter Review

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    285638
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    Chapter Summary

    Power is a word that has many meanings in many contexts, but it has a very specific definition and usage in communication. Drawing from the work of philosopher Michel Foucault and other critical scholars, we understand power as a force that exists between persons and groups in a relationship. The dynamic of power that exists between these groups has profound and significant impact on the nature of communication and other behaviors in these relationships. This power dynamic is often invisible to those who are in the higher power position, but quite visible to those in the lower power position. This dynamic of power is not fixed or absolute or natural, but rather it is a socially constructed and dynamic force that is related to the cultural context in which it exists.

    This power can come from many places. The most obvious place is legitimized hierarchy within an institution, such as an organizational chart. Power can also come from access to needed resources, which can be natural resources like oil or water, or even the resource of life itself which can be taken away through the threat of violence. The most common source of power may also be the most intangible or nebulous, which is cultural capital. Cultural capital is when a cultural group decides what they deem valuable and desirable, and people or groups who have these qualities are then themselves deemed valuable and desirable, such as masculinity within a patriarchal culture.


    This page titled 3.4: Chapter Review was last modified on Sat, 19 Sep 2026 06:23:30 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Nick Chivers and Nicole Stibbard.

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