As a student, do you consider yourself powerful or powerless? On what symbols are you basing your perception?
Power can be described as the ability to influence people into behaving or acting in certain ways, primarily through the control of specific resources. The concept of power has been studied extensively by several researchers including John R. P. French, Bertram Raven, Kanter, and Korda. As a student, I consider myself powerful. According to psychological research, some of the symbols of power include an ability to intercede on behalf of someone in trouble, access to early information, and getting discussion items on the agenda list during important meetings (Nelson and Quick 403).
Main body
I consider myself powerful because I am a leader of a study group, and in that regard, I enjoy certain privileges that other students do not. For example, if a student is late to hand in their homework, I can intercede for them with the professor. The professor listens to me only if the student has a legitimate reason for handing in their homework late. In many instances, the instructor seeks my advice on certain matters that affect learning. For instance, I assist in the evaluation of teaching methods in order to determine their effectiveness. According to researchers French and Raven, one of the symbols of power is position (qt. in Nelson and Quick 397). Legitimate power comes from a position that an individual holds (Nelson and Quick 397). For example, a president, a company CEO, a religious minister, and fire chief have legitimate power because of their positions. In my case, my position as a team leader gives me the power to make some decisions on behalf of my classmates.
Another symbol of power as described by Kanter is access to early information (Nelson and Quick 403). As a leader, I have the privilege of accessing certain information before other students do. I am the first person to know about the dates for the administration of assessment tests. In many instances, the professor checks in with me to find out if the dates are suitable for all students. If the dates are inconvenient, I discuss the matter with the class and decide on new dates. Representing my classmates gives me the power to discuss critical issues with the instructor and make decisions on their behalf.
I feel powerful as a student because instructors do not make decisions that affect student welfare without consultation. In an organization, a common symbol of power among employees is having top managers seek out their opinions regarding certain matters (Nelson and Quick 403). Instructors seek the opinions of students on several matters that affect learning. For instance, some instructors change their teaching methods after students evaluate them as ineffective. The feedback provided influences their decisions because the approaches adopted fail to achieve the learning objectives of various courses. The ability to influence the decision of someone else is a sign of power.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I feel powerful as a student because of my position as a team leader and the involvement in discussions regarding matters that affect student welfare. My opinions as a leader possess the power to influence my classmates as well as the instructor. The position of team leader gives me the power to make important decisions and intercede for students who are in trouble. Moreover, it allows me to get discussion items on the agenda list during meetings between students and the instructor.
Work Cited
Nelson, Debra L, and James Campbell Quick. Organizational Behavior: Science, The Real World, and You. Cengage Learning, 2013.