Power Issues in Rural Community Development

The Basic Issue

Carl Von Clausewitz, in his book On War, notes that "War is an act of violence intended to compel our opponent to fulfil our will" (____p.101). That is, war as he saw it, was an extension of politics, two ends of a spectrum if you will. Persuasion is the alternative to violence, and both are aspects of the expression of power.

I was still a teenager when on a student job for the summer in Saskatchewan I encountered a first hand instance of how badly people can behave when they can't get heir own way. I worked in a village ten miles out of a larger town. The issue came up as to whether to replace the boards in the open-air rink for he kids in the winter. The situation deteriorated and I remember seeing grown adults throwing mud in each other's trucks.

Every community development worker experience local power struggles at one time or another. Then there are the personnel at higher levels who wield control of purse and influence and can find many ways to sabotage, enable, or stall projects for whatever reason. At the National and international levels, Power plays abound and the ripple effects in changes of policy can make a project bloom in one part of he nation or world and shut down another at the same time. Power issues abound whenever there are people living and working together. Learning how to handle power issues and what approach to take to encounters with power are key aspects of community development work.

Off-Line Resources

On-Line Resources

Link to sub-section of this site dealing with Addressing the Power Dynamics in Rural Community Development