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Penn 1 North Plaza, Manhattan (image taken by me, 27 April 2024)

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When I think of the "disciplinary domain" of power, I think about the design and regulation of public spaces. According to their name, these are spaces open to "the public": they don't require you to purchase a coffee to access a seat, and there's no limit for how long you can stay. Except... As these rules stipulate, certain uses -like sleeping- are prohibited. If followed to the letter, I should have been prevented from "storing or placing personal property on the ground" while I was schlepping my luggage through this plaza and sitting down to rest. But my body - white, middle class, middle-aged - goes unquestioned in this space. By contrast, bodies that are read as poor or unhoused, or there "without purpose"*, are targeted by these regulations. *According to Hermer & Fonarev (2020), "The prohibition on loitering is sometimes specifically against ‘lingering’ or standing around somewhere ‘without an apparent purpose’" see: https://www.homelesshub.ca/blog/mapping-vagrancy-type-offences-municipal-laws

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The hegemonic domain of power refers to the ways in which certain groups can sustain and benefit from their privileged positions through cultural norms, values, and beliefs that are established by the dominant group or groups. These perspectives are further perpetuated by the media as mainstream media is through the eyes of the most privileged people. An example of this can be traditional gender roles, specifically in the workplace. Gender norms and expectations created by men enforces that women tend to take on more caring or nurturing roles while men and more suitable for leadership and decision-making. We can still this type of thinking on the socialization of young boys and girls, as well as language used to describe women as “caring” or more “emotional,” and men as “logical” and “assertive.”

Mya Thomas

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From what I understood in the reading, interpersonal power refers to the dynamics of power that manifest in everyday interactions and in personal relationships. It encompasses the ways people can use their influence over one another in social contexts through social power structures rather than legal power structures. These dynamics are shaped by larger societal structures and cultural norms but are experienced on a personal level. This was especially easy to understand and comprehend as a woman because misogyny is deeply ingrained in society and oftentimes very easy to recognize. One of the first examples that come to mind is the many women who are harassed on the streets and catcalled. I have been a victim of this, and I know that so many women around me have been as well. So much so that this kind of behaviour from men is typically not surprising. It is the socially accepted system of patriarchy that allows men to make women uncomfortable without consequence, and this extends to things like catcalling. It is this social structure that allows those at the top (men) to use their influence against those at the bottom (women); effectively fitting into interpersonal power dynamics.

- Manreet

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A photo of Nara Smith in one of her TikToks depicting unrealistic lifestyle standards. Pc: @naraazizasmith

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I see hegemonic power as the way that certain ideologies or temperaments become normalized, despite being unfair or unrealistic. We see it every day through things like social media, school, and society in general. For example, I see this type of power operating in my everyday life through the media. Social media will portray certain types of people or lifestyles as the most desirable, and over time we begin to believe that is the norm. I’ll often see TikToks of conventionally attractive people promoting unrealistic standards of beauty and success. These happen to be the same people I see producing ads for unnecessary “beauty” or “wellness” products; essentially reinforcing consumer behaviour and body image issues. Overall, I feel it encourages a sort of unfair and unrealistic set of standards, tying into things like gender roles, sexism, pretty privilege, general insecurity, and more.

- Avery Colebourne-Victoria

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I understand structural domain power to be a systemic power that controls a lot of hidden factors of how society is categorized and awarded certain opportunities. In the United States, for example, structural power is very visible and talked about heavily. It is used there to separate Black and Hispanic communities from White communities into select areas of major cities such as Chicago or Baltimore, and structural laws are put in place to keep those living in poverty mostly within the poverty area. In most states, children may not legally attend schools outside of their designated neighborhood school, which in poorer areas, are prone to robberies, gang violence, poor education, and lack of school funding and resources. This is just the first example off the top of my head of how structural power can be used to enforce problematic segregation and maintain privilege in certain communities. Being a Communications major, I study power structures quite a bit, so I recognize it more in everyday life when it comes to laws and policies that are in place to “protect” people and “benefit” people.

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The interpersonal domain of power sums up how power dynamics are reinforced in society and how different individuals experience different types of oppression. These power dynamics may be reinforced in many ways such as leadership positions in a workplace and how the education system interacts with different people. I also see the privilege hazard as a dangerous thing when understanding this form of power, as many of the people in these leadership and education positions may not notice how they are reinforcing oppression and harmful power dynamics. After reflecting on how I see this type of power in my life I noticed a pattern in the workplace. I have two jobs; one is a labour job, and one is a restaurant job. In the labour job, all my superiors are men and most of them are white, and many of the employees are men. However, in the restaurant job, I am one of the only men on the entire employee list. I think this is a prime example of the interpersonal domain and how these power dynamics are reinforced subconsciously as men are seen in society as strong and powerful, which are helpful traits in a labour job, and women are seen as caring and compassionate, which are traits you need in the service industry jobs. Since these genders are favoured in different jobs, it perpetuates these power dynamics in society.

Hugh McConnell

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To my understanding hegemonic power from Patricia Hill Collins’ matrix of domination, is when a dominant group establishes that their values and way of thinking is the standard and has major pull over how things are done as the norm, which the rest of society abides by. Functions of hegemonic power include control of knowledge production; which is when dominant groups control media and education, language and representation; which is the way certain words and phrases help to push the dominant groups narrative, and cultural hegemony; which is when these created norms are celebrated within a culture. The most prominent real life example of hegemonic power I see in my life is beauty standards. The representation of the beauty standard aka the “norm” are defined by the fashion business and the media. It is pushed on the rest of the world that in order to be within the beauty standard you must be of lighter complexion and thin. This created beauty standard is pushed by the media and shown in every aspect leaving impressionable individuals at a young age instilling the idea that one must conform to this standard, is a clear representation of hegemonic power.

-Ekroop Brar

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In Patricia Hill Collin’s Matrix of Domination, the interpersonal domain of power relates to any personal encounters with or lived experiences of power, be it privilege or oppression. Whether we are enacting power ourselves, having power enacted upon us, or something in between, we all interact with systems of privilege and oppression on a daily basis. Looking at this interpersonal domain of power is important in understanding how power effects people on an individual basis, and also for individuals to begin to understand how the larger systems of power (i.e., the structural domain) shape their life and how their daily actions either affirm or challenge them.

When I think of how interpersonal power operates in my daily life, workplace examples come to mind first. The workplace is filled with power differentials. In the case of my work as a manager in hospitality, I am very aware of the power I exert through whom I do and don’t hire. The hiring and screening process is rife with opportunities for bias — whether it be skipping over someone due to bad grammar, their name, age, having only foreign work experience, or favouring someone with whom you share similar traits and experience with. While I try to eliminate my biases by using set criteria for short-listing applicants, it is still an imperfect process.

- Melissa Thoen