Lambton College: ADR 1003 - Power and Its Sources Assignment

This assignment explores the concept of power within the context of mediation and conflict resolution. It begins by defining power as the ability to influence others' thoughts and actions. The essay then details the different uses of power, distinguishing between distributive, integrative, and designated approaches. Furthermore, it identifies various sources of power, including legitimate, expert, coercive, reward, referent, network, and resource power, providing real-world examples like Beyonce's influence in the entertainment industry. The assignment is based on Chapter 14 of a mediation textbook and aims to help students understand power dynamics, assess power imbalances, and apply these concepts in practical scenarios. The student's work demonstrates an understanding of these key concepts and their application in analyzing power structures within conflicts.

Running head: POWER AND ITS SOURCES
POWER AND ITS SOURCES
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author Note

1POWER AND ITS SOURCES
1. What is power?
Power is defined, in social science and politics, as the capability of an individual to
make another person act and think in ways they voluntarily would not. As stated by
Michel Foucault, real power is always reliant on the ignorance of its individual agent
(Daldal, 2014). People who act as mediators, therefore, must possess the skill to
evaluate which party has more power and by how much, to balance that out and shift
the concerned parties from a power-based approach to an interest based approach in a
dispute.
2. What are the uses of power?
 Distributive - This type is used in win or lose situations where the outcome is
going to be either one, but the main focus is on winning.
 Integrative - This type is used in win or win situation, where all parties gain
something. The focus of this approach is on collaboration and helping the
other out.
 Designated – This type is bestowed upon parties by others. The focus here lies
on giving power to the other party and to the relationship that exists between
them.
3. What are some of the sources of power and example of person/celebrity you think has
a lot of each category?
 Legitimate and expert power – This is based on the legitimacy of the power
possessed by one party through social structure or individual skill and
expertise.
 Coercive and reward power – This is based on the promise of reward or threat
of punishment of one party to another.

2POWER AND ITS SOURCES
 Referent and network power – These are based on one party being admired by
others and therefore consequently leading to social contacts and the ability to
access these at will.
 Resource power – This is based on a party’s possession of resources of
information, finance, and others over the others.
According to me, Beyonce is a current figure of power in the Entertainment industry, who
has tremendous talent, business ethics and knowledge, and is a humanitarian. Moreover,
given she is a person of colour, makes her an imposing personality over many groups in
society (Marshall, 2014).

3POWER AND ITS SOURCES
References
Daldal, A. (2014). Power and ideology in Michel Foucault and Antonio Gramsci: A
comparative analysis. Review of History and Political Science, 2(2), 149-167.
Marshall, P. D. (2014). Celebrity and power: Fame in contemporary culture. U of Minnesota
Press.