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
- Ferrazzi, Gabe. "Power in the Community" . Rural Community Development Introductory Modules,(WebCT class notes). Brandon University, Fall, 2001.Module # 1-b .
In Gabe's notes on Power dynamics in community , he notes the difficulty of identifying decision makers (often regarded as the wielders of power) within even a small community, and that some people may wield more power than others at various times and Places.He looks at two authors who dealt extensively with the people who wield power in communities:
- Robert Dahl who noted the shift from a single corps of leaders to a constellation of groups of leaders in the city he studied, and his matrix of cost and degree of relationship.
- John Gaventawith his political economy perspective and its three dimensions of power:
-       political,
-       structural and
-       philosophical persuasion.
On-Line Resources
Link to sub-section of this site dealing with Addressing the Power Dynamics in Rural Community Development