The Concept of Power: Some Overemphasized and Underrecognized Dimensions.

The article presents an insight on the concept of power. The article presents an insight on the concept of power. In this article the most abstract as well as the most applied aspects of the concept are eschewed in order to formulate what might be called a middle-range conceptualization of power, with special reference to the local community. In this analysis fifteen dimensions of the concept of power are isolated. The fifteen dimensions treated represent a diversity of approaches to the examination of power, for each singles out somewhat different theoretical questions or empirical problems of theoretical relevance. These dimensions include: Interpersonal influence, anticipated reactions, direct and indirect influence, reciprocity, patterns of value distribution, legitimation, number of participants in decision, scope of power: Issue importance, visibility, power bases, application of power, efficiency of power application, the zero-sum problem and the allocation of resources, and stratification of power. It was concluded that different types of power structure arrangements have certainly existed in the US communities in the past, and that several types of power structure are to be found in the US communities today.