Abstract
Political scientists tend to conceptualize power as a phenomenon that wears a "face," that is, as an instrument powerful agents use to alter the independent action of the powerless. This definition introduces into empirical analysis a series of assumptions that deflect attention from questions central to critically analyzing power relations. Students of power should "de-face" the concept by defining power as a network of social boundaries that delimit the field of what is possible for all actors -"powerful" and "powerless" alike.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-22 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Journal | Polity |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1998 |