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Roy Maalouf

Ms. Zeina Misk

9/10/2021

Types of Power and Status

Title: Types of Power and Status

Authors: HERBERT GOLDHAMER AND EDWARD A. SHILS

Date of Publication: September 1939

Journal Title: American Journal of Sociology

Publishing House: The University of Chicago Press

URL: https://www-jstor-org.ezproxy.lau.edu.lb:2443/stable/2769807?pq-

origsite=summon&seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents

 Power is the ability to influence other people’s behaviors.

 Three types of power exist which include: exercising power by force, by

domination, or by manipulation.

 Exercising power by force is when a person uses physical compulsion to influence

others. When using domination, power is having control over others in doing

whatever task is required. Lastly, manipulation is a misleading influence on

behavior that leads to unexpected action. (Goldhamer and Shils, p.171)

 Legitimate power is when a person has the right to rule or is “worthy” of ruling.

Its contradictory view is coercive power where power is created by the

threatening of individuals.
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 Three subdivisions are found in legitimate power: legal, traditional, and

charismatic. Legal authority is when the legal system has power and not the ruler

himself. The system itself dictates what must be done. Traditional authority is

when power is ascribed and is strongly affiliated to customs and traditions.

Finally, charismatic authority is when the leader himself has leadership qualities

and people follow him. (Goldhamer and Shils, p.172)

 People do not entitle a leader as legitimate if they use aggression and force as an

act of domination. This could lead to disobedience or obedience depending on the

ruler’s legitimacy and the situation if ethical or not.

 A failed attempt of a ruler to exert power on his subordinates will lead to either a

substitute power, (an alternative method to achieve the original goal) which can

be by manipulation or by a kind gesture, or a sanction. Sanctions can be the

dispossession of assets or a punishment (penalty) for disobeying the ruler’s

command. A sanction in a form of a penalty motivates subordinates to act in an

opposing manner.

 Two types of power exist: unilateral and bilateral.

 Power can be measured by two different criteria: the number of people controlled

and the potential of power in different situations and behaviors. (Goldhammer and

Shils, p.177)

 Usually, power effectiveness does not lessen when a leader has many people

under his command unless he loses control over them. In that case, the

subordinates become of increasing power and have a say in commands.

Moreover, this leads to a bilateral power in which the power-holder can no longer
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control his subordinates since they act on his behalf during commands. That’s

why it is near impossible to not have a bilateral power system when a large group

of subordinates works for a power-holder. There is a direct relationship between

the number of subordinates with power distribution.

Theory:

A bureaucratic theory is used in this article. Bureaucracy, according to Max

Weber, is a highly ordered, formalized, and impersonal entity. The bureaucratic

theory which was originally stated by Max Weber, who is the author of the

famous book “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”, affirms that the

most efficient way society can function is as a rigid and complex organization in

which it comprises of formal rules, a hierarchy of power, and an authority-

governing body. The bureaucratic theory includes many characteristics in which

three of which are found in this article which are task specialization, the

hierarchical authority of power, and rules and regulations. When talking about the

hierarchical authority of power, Weber distinguishes three different categories of

power which include traditional power, charismatic power, and legal power. A

combination of these characteristics made a legitimate ruler. He believed in this

division of classes for society to be as efficient as possible. Each layer must be

managed from bottom to top, in the most power and authority lies in the hands of

the top layer. His capitalistic point of view, which originated from a Protestant

outlook, led to the segregation of classes to purposely fulfill their duties and climb

up the ladder.
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However, if we look at another point of view such as conflict theory, the ideas

conflict with Max Weber. Karl Marx believed that the hierarchy of power that

was essential in a bureaucracy was harmful to society. He claimed that the

governing elite holds the majority of power (the bourgeoisie) who use their power

to make themselves richer and make the poor poorer. This leads to an even greater

distance between social classes. Marx promotes a classless society where

everyone is equal. He also says that the working class should overthrow the ruling

class to have a fair way of life.

References:

Goldhamer, Herbert, and Edward A. Shils. “Types of Power and Status.” American Journal of

Sociology, vol. 45, no. 2, 1939, pp. 171–182., https://doi.org/10.1086/218263.