ANTH 425 Power and Change
22 September 2011
Wolf, Eric (1990) "Distinguished Lecture: Facing Power – Old Insights, New Questions." American Anthropologist. 92(3): 586-596.
What were Wolf’s earlier contributions to anthropological understandings of power?
- how does marxist theory work and what was Wolf’s particular contribution to it?
Exploring what Wolf says:
- four types of power: 1) power as personal attribute; 2) ability of ego to impose its will on alter ego; 3) tactical power; 4) structural power
- what is structural power?
- how is it related to culture and ideas?
- how does power work in this model?
- how does this build on, and how is it different from the views presented by Gluckman and Foucault?
- can you think of an analogy from your society to practice with this approach?
- how might change come about as a result of the workings of this kind of power?
Coming to conclusions:
- Is this a useful way of thinking about power? Why or why not?