Rethinking Power
Abstract
This paper argues that feminists have yet to develop a satisfactory account of power. Existing feminist accounts of power tend to have a one-sided emphasis either on power as domination or on power as empowerment. This conceptual one-sided’ ness must be overcome if feminists are to develop an account complex enough to illuminate women's diverse experiences with power. Such an account is sketched here.
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A multi-sided concept of power including domination (power over), individual (power to), and collective (power with) resistance is a way to examine how power dynamics operate productively.
“A way to examine how power dynamics operate productively is to focus on Allen's (1998) multi-sided concept of power; this includes both domination (power over), as well as individual (power to) and collective (power with) resistance.”
From Intersectional power struggles in feminist movements: An analysis of resistance and counter‐resistance to intersectionality (2024) · cites this paper as Allen, 1998
Power over refers to majoritized women's actions that have the capacity to undermine intersectional practices.
“Applied to the study of intersectionality in feminist movements, power over refers to majoritized women's actions that have the capacity to undermine intersectional practices”
From Intersectional power struggles in feminist movements: An analysis of resistance and counter‐resistance to intersectionality (2024) · cites this paper as Allen, 1998
Cites
Toward a feminist theory of the state
(1990) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.27-5386 · Cited by 2,391 · see citing works
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Barking up the right tree? NGOs and corporate power for deforestation-free supply chains
Weber, A.-K., & Partzsch, L. (2018) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su10113869 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Muñoz‐Puig, M. (2024) · Gender, Work & Organization · doi:10.1111/gwao.12995 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Editorial: Patriarchy and Populism During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Gould, C. C. (2021) · Frontiers in Sociology · doi:10.3389/fsoc.2021.722393 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
- Authors
- Allen, A.
- Corresponding author
- Allen, Amy
- ORCID
- Allen, Amy
- Venue
- Hypatia
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 1998
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 21-40
- ISSN
- 0887-5367 (ISSN-L)
- 1527-2001
- OpenAlex
- W4249467748
- Cited by
- 251
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 2.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Hypatia (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Feminist Theory and Gender Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Feminism, Gender, and Intersectionality
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
- Keywords
- power, feminist theory, domination, empowerment
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