Bibliography

This article forms a detailed analysis and discussion over the author’s perception of what social power means, what it implies to societies, and the ways in which, together with other aspects of social participation, can be optimised. Building on his previous work based on the ‘three dimensions’ of power developed by Steven Lukes, the author argues that Luke’s three forms of power must also be understood in relation to how spaces for engagement are created, and the levels of power (from local to global), in which they occur. Understanding each of these – the spaces, levels and forms of power – as themselves separate but interrelated dimensions, each of which had at least three components within them, these dimensions could be visually linked together into a ‘power cube’. By using this framework, the author argues that analysts could begin to assess the possibilities of transformative action in various political spaces. Moreover, the approach could be a tool for reflection by activists and practitioners to map the types of power which we sought to challenge, and to look at the strategies for doing so. Even if the power cube approach does not tell us how to align our efforts, if it can be used by actors seeking to change the world to reflect on where and how they do so, and how they work across boundaries with others who are also working for change, then perhaps the alignment of efforts for transforming power will become more possible. In this sense, reflections on power, and reflections by change agents on how their work affects power relationships in all of its dimensions, is perhaps the first step in making more visible, power’s most hidden and invisible forms.