HOME JOURNALS CONTACT

The Social Sciences

Social Organization and Power: A Sociological Perspective
O. Philip Sijuwade

Abstract: Since, power is a pervasive yet contentious feature in social organization and therefore a central concept in sociology, it necessitates an adequate sociological review. As an interactive process with no monolithic character, social power has both intended and unintended effects for either promotive or a preventive purpose. Methods of exerting social power include force, dominance, authority, attraction, ideology and discipline, though any specific situation may include more than one form and sometimes in an overlapping manner. This study discerns four conspicuous perspectives of social power in modern Sociology: Marxist, Elitist, Pluralist and Foucaultian. None of these are formal theories nevertheless these broad perspectives tend to shape the overall manner in which sociologists view the role in social organization.

How to cite this article
O. Philip Sijuwade , 2012. Social Organization and Power: A Sociological Perspective. The Social Sciences, 7: 704-712.

© Medwell Journals. All Rights Reserved