ERIC Number: ED333263
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1990-Nov-20
Pages: 6
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
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Available Date: N/A
Empowerment for the Nineties.
Davis, Robert E.; And Others
Power is the capacity of an individual to self-determine his or her life and to participate in the creation of an appropriate environment for that life. The exercise of personal power is necessary to develop one's unique potential, and it is necessary if society is to benefit from contributions and participation of all its members. In an effort to explore views of adults on power, two groups of students enrolled in a graduate course (N=48) were asked to discuss what they thought of power and powerlessness and what remedies they saw to powerlessness. Most respondents had a tendency to hold negative associations with power and with powerlessness. Students then selected from the list of remedies three courses of action to overcome powerlessness. Items chosen by both groups appeared to favor personal exploration of the self and self-initiated action. No one selected a remedy in which external determination of behavior was sought. (The document concludes with a list of activities suggested as possible discussion topics for empowerment. Examples are included in the areas of readiness for development of power, understanding and acceptance of self, identifying motives and goals, understanding expectations, and development of skills.) (NB)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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Author Affiliations: N/A