Powerful Agency

This has been one of the most interesting classes for me. As cliché as it may sound, it has been an empowering experience. I think one of the most important things that this class has given me is a "savviness" regarding how power operates. To be aware of power, to have the ability to recognize when power is operating, its form and its substance (where, how, and by whom it is operating) means that we are less likely to be negatively affected by its manifestations. Understanding how power operates is a huge advantage in countering it. The resources we have within us, whether its social, cultural, or economic capital, or if they are rhetorical strategies, or anything else, gives us the agency to harness our own power as a force for good. Power is agency, and agency means we have the capacity to be considerable forces in the world, whether that takes the form of agents of change or advocates for justice, or even simply the masters of our own fates.

Drama

Reflecting upon our study of the intricacies of power, I was most impressed by our reading of media. Our 'powerful dramas' serve as ideal illustrations of power at work in almost all of its forms. This has been an excellent practice in recognizing different forms of power (and how our visual culture is transcribed into our quotidian experience and vice versa). Above all, this approach to gaining an understanding of powers directly delivers power by way of its accessibility. The medium becomes the message, and individuals with out any degree of prior knowledge can gain access to a wealth of reflective knowledge. Thus, our study of popular culture, and one as rich as television programming, is our own engagement and harnessing of power- and that was a very effective and impressive exercise.

Everyday Power

Before the start of this semester I had never seriously thought about analyzing power or rhetoric strategies. I may have even used at least some of those, but I was not aware of them. However, since January, this has gradually changed without me knowingly noticing it. Not until I had a fight over phone messages.  When I noticed that the other person was twisting some details in order to change the facts in his favor, I found myself thinking how that person was actually trying to use rhetoric to change the facts we had been arguing about. From that moment on, I knew how this class has had an impact on my everyday life. From now on I will be the one using rhetoric knowingly and more often (in particular to win arguments!).

Claiming Power!

In a world filled with power plays, underhanded deals, and selfish actions, we are repeatedly conditioned to think of power as a negative phenomenon. For example, "people in power" (usually referring to politicians) are typically said to be corrupt, egotistical, and self-serving. But what people do not realize is that they too have power. Every individual is gifted with power....power to think, power to speak, power to write, and the power to act. If only they would claim it for themselves! And that essentially is what this class has taught me. In order to affect change, big or small, you need to claim the power and the capacity to act that has been given to you. Don't let it rot there by your side. Don't pin your problems on someone else. Pick up your agency and use it. Moving forward from this class, that is exactly what I plan on doing: I will claim my power! It is not a thing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about, but instead embraced. So go ahead: embrace your power. I dare you.

Power as a Multidimensional Mosaic

While at the beginning of the course, power seemed as a compact entity - something that might have been subjected to certain fluidity and change through the simple power dynamics of the various revolutions, power now seems almost like a mosaic, arching into into various directions and dimensions. I realized that the most effective form of power is that, which is covert and influences potential issues to stay out of the spotlight. I also started to think of power in terms of historical development and processes such as the longue durée, which could be and should be set into a juxtaposition with the Lukes’ three-dimensional model. Finally thinking of power in forms of individual capital of every single one of us and the respective effects, benefits and drawbacks of each one, I tarted thinking about which capital I will endeavor to pursue and what kind of opportunities of influence will this capital enable me. 

Powerful Insights

Being in this class was a powerful experience. I learned that power is something that everyone possesses in some way, shape or form, and is not only a resource belonging to the 'elite'. Being put into specific power positions during the simulations gave me a much better insight into the complexities of power and how agendas can influence the ways that power plays out and how decisions are made. Power is not simple but it is within reach in one way or another. Most importantly, I've let go of my immediately negative associations with power because I've gained a deeper understanding of power's nuances.

The rhetoric of "rhetoric"

How mindful are we of the word "rhetoric" when we use it? 

Since we started discussing the topic of rhetoric, I have noticed every time that the word has escaped my lips. I am also much more aware of its implementation during conversations with others. As Del Gandio says, the power of words is immense and being aware and understanding the word "rhetoric" itself is, I think, the first step towards actually using rhetoric.

Society & Power

My main insight is into the importance of breaking concepts or problems into smaller units when attempting to tackle power. If a problem or issue stems from 'society' it seems impossible to change or influence. But if you break down that issue and figure out what parts of society are the root of the problem, tackling it becomes much more feasible. It is so much easier to blame society, but every form of power has its source, and those sources can be changed.  Hopefully looking at power in this way will help people who feel that they are lacking power understand that they can find a way to invert power structures in this world.

Understanding The Conflict

From this class I have learned that there are different types of powers, more than I knew existed. One of the things I appreciated from the class is being able to understand how power takes place in the problem I selected from my home. Before I used to think that it was simply a conflict on who was able to take over the power of the government. However, now I am able to understand the different power dynamics that take place, and how the war is more complex than I thought it was. Now I am constantly reading situations and thinking what types power dynamics are taking place which for me is very interesting.

Power is all around us

Adopting a critical approach to power as a concept and a dynamic force in the real world affords a greater degree of understanding about the world around us.  Through the coursework, and most primarily our final paper, I've developed a distinctly critical view of power systems in the world.  While I may not always be able to nail them down concisely, I find myself looking out for them in my daily experiences.  These kinds of power span from dynamics among friends to the power exerted by FUS over its students and so on.  Seeing the world through a lens of dynamics and relations creates a very interesting perspective for navigating life.  Not only have instances of power interactions become more obvious, I find myself distinctly curious about discovering more about how power is being operationalized around me.  Power is a deeply complex concept that can be seen in a variety of ways and attempting to understand it is important.  Though I am only beginning to be more conscious of how it operates, I feel inspired to learn more and gain an even deeper perspective on the concept and its impacts on both my life and the world at large.

Power in the Small Things

I am not one for many words, but this course helped me to understand where power occurs in the smaller aspects of our lives. Even things that seem to just occur likely have a reason, and that reason inevitably has some sort of connection to a power play. If nothing else, having finished this class, I can now observe the world with a number of different perspectives.

It was interesting, and I am glad to have participated.

#empowerment

Throughout this semester my thoughts about power have truly developed. I just thought of power as a strong force that many people take for granted or use to manipulate others. Now I understand that power is something that everyone can possess in one form or another. There is not just basic power that Lukes discusses as one dimensional, power is also a form of capital and everyone has some type of capital. That was made obvious when researching 'Downtown Abbey' for the Powerful Drama exercise. Then there were the simulations that put us into situations of having power (or not having power) and they gave us a first hand experience of how power relations play out. Finally, the narrative from the future exercise and learning about rhetoric helped me to realize how I can use my power to encourage others to alleviate the problem we face at home. I appreciated this class, because I am able to understand power and how it plays out in different scenarios as well as there is more power within all of us than we typically realize. 

Reflection

Understanding is always the first step to figuring out a solution to a given problem. I think we had an in-depth understanding of power in this course with the different paradigms and vocabularies we learnt. What I found most interesting in the course is learning that power is not always observable; that keeping conflicts from actually emerging by shaping people's belief is much more effective than having a power conflict play out. Keeping issues out of agendas is a very strong form of power. I think that the simulations in which we embodied power really enhanced my understanding of the different ways power plays out. The assignments complemented each other I think by helping us understand power and also utilize it (narrative and rhetoric, dr.power, meditations, etc)

SEM 372

Throughout this semester I believe we have reached our objectives that we have set out in this course. I believe we have done the meditations efficiently and on a regular basis. When it comes to utilising power vocabulary i definitely feel like i have developed an advanced a power vocabulary through the media analysis. The practices surely made a difference in understanding our learning objectives better. Our powerful drama was very interesting to integrate different forms of power into the shows and using examples of what we have studied in class in relation to the show we are presenting.  Our dear DR power was definitely the most interesting because you can see how vocabulary and understanding has flourished in the classroom.

SEM 372

During this course, I learned a lot more about power. Starting the class with meditations, I was able to learn more about power on a local and personal level.  In addition to that, this class helped me to see more sides of power, I was able to Identify power vocabularies by watching the TV show "Tyrant" and analyzing it. Adding more to that, I was able to experience power through the practices we did in class, which made the class more interesting and helped in making it easier to understand the concepts of power . Chapter presentations also helped in understanding theories and concepts in power. Finally, I was able put everything I learned in this class together by writing the Final Paper which included the "Narrative from the future", "Description of the problem at the heart of your narrative", "Power Inventory" and "Power Plan".

Power Over Power

Through this course I have learned that every person has power and distinct capacities. Some of these powers we are born into and some we work for. Our power exists regardless of whether or not we acknowledge or cultivate it. However, we have more control over our individual power once we study it. By studying our individual capacities and the powers at play around us, we have the capacity to effect change. Understand and studying existing power dynamics is important, but even more crucial is realizing that we can shape these powers. In essence, acknowledging that we have power over power.

Local and Tangible

The most interesting and engaging part of this course was learning how power can be tangible and local. When thinking about power, it is all too easy to attribute the word and its context to the "big" players in the world. We often forget about the power that small aspects, such as people, objects, activities and languages can behold. The most important aspect of power that we learned through was the power of language, and uses of rhetoric. By understanding the processes of rhetoric, and frameworks that are used, and can be used successfully, or not, it becomes an apparent topic in all situations and experiences. Identifying powerful language, and its possible effects, makes the concepts learned throughout this course very tangible, and localized to the individual and how power manifests within us as well.

Power is Identifiable and Malleable

Through this course I learned that power isn't always stagnant; it's identifiable and malleable. If you are able to identify the power and holders of the power in its simplest form, you can then look for areas of intervention. The theories we studied in class helped us to simplify power, making it more understandable and less intimidating. Therefore, once we understand it, power can be changed and power relations are not inevitable. This understanding alone is a source of power as you can feel free to see and realize realities that were once beyond your reach.

Internal Power

The most astounding thing about this course is not only the study of levels of power in society, but learning and embracing your individual power. I am used to studying power in international relations and through general interest in the topic. It's both incredibly enlightening and frustrating to understand how the world works, and how power is used/or not used. What I enjoyed most was the focus on individual capital and agency, because it gave me the motivation to get through my final semester. I feel more confident than ever that I can enact change, even if it's on a very local or personal level.