Power and the Activist

This article reports on a scoping study called Power in Community in which the author carried out Power Talks with community activists in the north of England.  She gives a comprehensive analysis of the meaning of power ranging from dominating power, to the power to co-operate, to empowerment.  She then concludes that these community activists were using non-dominating power: describing power as enabling others, sharing and listening with others.   The article argues that the evidence of practice on non-dominating power should be used to shift the debate from empowerment to transforming power.