Standpoint Theory - Standpoint Theory and Power Relations

Standpoint Theory and Power Relations

"I argue that relations of power are not just like any other object of inquiry in the social sciences because they can suppress or distort relevant evidence. By relations of power I refer to a particular conception of power, namely, the ability of an individual or a group to constrain the choices available to another individual or group (Allen 1989, 33). Power in this sense of the term is a relation (see also Young 1990, 31). Even though relations of power do not always involve domination, they function as vehicles of domination when they constrain an individual’s or a group’s choices in a way that is harmful for the individual or the group. I argue that because relations of power can be used to dominate people, they are likely to mobilize a complex set of motivations that prompt potential informants to either conceal or distort relevant evidence." Kristina Rolin

What Rolin has written basically states that power is not objective at all. Power in some cases does not even require one person to realistically have power over another, there only has to be perceived power among the individuals. For example, when parents tell their children what to do and the children obey, there is a perceived power that the parents have over their children. In reality, the children could disobey their parents. The parents then have the authority to punish the children. Suppose the punishment is grounding the child from any outdoor play for the next week. The child could simply go against this punishment and play outside. Rebellion against the parents is always an option, but one that does not seem to always be present because of the perceived power that the parents have over the child.

The standpoint this comes from depends on the environment you are brought up in. We can see this in society by looking at the way that parents raise their children. In many cases, parents raise their children the way that they were raised when they were younger. This standpoint affects how they view parenting and how it should be exhibited.