Editing Power (social and political) (section)

=== Björn Kraus ===
[[Björn Kraus]] deals with the [[epistemology|epistemological]] perspective on power regarding the question of the possibilities of interpersonal influence by developing a special form of [[constructivist epistemology|constructivism]] (named [[relational constructivism]]).<ref>Heiko Kleve: ''Vom Erweitern der Möglichkeiten''. In: [[Bernhard Pörksen]] (ed.): ''Schlüsselwerke des Konstruktivismus''. VS-Verlag, Wiesbaden/Germany 2011. pp. 506–519 [509].</ref> Instead of focusing on the valuation and distribution of power, he asks first and foremost what the term can describe at all.<ref name=Kraus2014>{{cite journal|last1=Kraus|first1=Björn|title=Introducing a Model for Analyzing the Possibilities of Power, Help and Control|journal=Social Work & Society|date=2014|volume=12|issue=1|url=http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:464-sws-582|access-date=12 August 2014}}</ref> Coming from [[Max Weber]]'s definition of power,<ref>Max Weber: ''Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Grundriss der verstehenden Soziologie''. Mohr, Tübingen/Germany 1972. S.28</ref> he realizes that the term power has to be split into "instructive power" and "destructive power".<ref>{{cite book|last=Kraus|first=Björn|chapter=Soziale Arbeit – Macht – Hilfe und Kontrolle. Die Entwicklung und Anwendung eines systemisch-konstruktivistischen Machtmodells|editor1-last=Kraus|editor1-first=Björn|editor2-last=Krieger|editor2-first=Wolfgang|title=Macht in der Sozialen Arbeit – Interaktionsverhältnisse zwischen Kontrolle, Partizipation und Freisetzung|publisher=Jacobs|place=Lage, Germany|date=2011|pages=95–118|chapter-url=http://www.webnetwork-nordwest.de/dokumente/kraus_macht2.pdf|access-date=10 May 2013|archive-date=4 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104035740/http://www.webnetwork-nordwest.de/dokumente/kraus_macht2.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Rp|105}}<ref name=Kraus2013/>{{Rp|126}} More precisely, instructive power means the chance to determine the actions and thoughts of another person, whereas destructive power means the chance to diminish the opportunities of another person.<ref name=Kraus2014/> How significant this distinction really is, becomes evident by looking at the possibilities of rejecting power attempts: Rejecting instructive power is possible; rejecting destructive power is not. By using this distinction, proportions of power can be analyzed in a more sophisticated way, helping to sufficiently reflect on matters of responsibility.<ref name=Kraus2013>See Björn Kraus: ''Erkennen und Entscheiden. Grundlagen und Konsequenzen eines erkenntnistheoretischen Konstruktivismus für die Soziale Arbeit''. Beltz Juventa, Weinheim/Basel 2013.</ref>{{Rp|139 f.}} This perspective permits people to get over an "either-or-position" (either there is power or there is not), which is common, especially in epistemological discourses about power theories,<ref>Reimund Böse, Günter Schiepek: ''Systemische Theorie und Therapie: ein Handwörterbuch''. Asanger, Heidelberg/Germany 1994.</ref><ref>Gregory Bateson: ''Ökologie des Geistes: anthropologische, psychologische, biologische und epistemologische Perspektiven''. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main/Germany 1996.</ref><ref>Heinz von Foerster: ''Wissen und Gewissen. Versuch einer Brücke''. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main/Germany 1996.</ref> and to introduce the possibility of an "as well as-position".<ref name=Kraus2013/>{{Rp|120}}