Power plays an essential role in the process of communication between people. It provides the opportunity to achieve the objectives and goals set for the individual. The encounter with power can be a completely different experience for each person. This necessitates knowledge of different types of this phenomenon in order to be able to manage situations where a person is in power or, conversely, is under someone else’s influence. Therefore, this paper presents a personal account of the encounter with different types of power and how they have been used or experienced.
Throughout life, each person encounters a certain kind of power. Among the main ones are referent, legitimate, expert, coercive, and reward, each of which has effectiveness in different contexts of use. For example, in my personal life, I have often encountered the referent kind, which is based on “a person’s perceived attractiveness, worthiness and right to others’ respect” (“French and Raven’s five forms of power,” n.d., para. 3). An encounter with this aspect occurred to me in a school setting when popular students received more respect from society simply because of their outward characteristics. The effect of this power on others could be intimidation or fascination, depending on how one places oneself in society. I believe that expert power should be used to gain real influence over people because it is based on knowledge and experience.
In conclusion, power plays a significant role not only in the process of achieving what is desired but also in influencing the people around them. The different types of this phenomenon have particular advantages and disadvantages, making it necessary to acquire knowledge about these aspects. Moreover, the use of force is limited by the context in which it can be exercised. When confronted with one type of force, one must have an understanding of how to manipulate it to one’s advantage.
Reference
French and Raven’s five forms of power. (n.d.). Mind Tools. Web.