Another way of analysing power is through looking at four forms of power: 

• Power within – self-worth, dignity
• Power with – collective action, working together
• Power over – domination or control of one over another
• Power to – individual ability to act

Power within relates to people’s self-worth, self-confidence, inner strength, sense of identity, quest for dignity and rights. The conscientisation process helps in self-awareness, a sense of empowerment, improved skills, knowledge and capacity.

Power with is about collective power and strength, mutual support, cooperation and working together, collective behaviours, solidarity and joint actions. It is about the changes that happen in the organisation and mobilisation of civil society in support of people. 

Power over is often seen as domination or control of one person, group or institution over another. Our work to influence duty bearers is strongly linked to the idea of power over, with actors such as police, judges, teachers, politicians all having a certain power over us in society. Power over is largely seen as negative, linked to repression, the use of force, to discrimination and corruption, perpetuation of inequality and injustice. However power over is not always a bad thing, duty bearers can also use this power for positive change, which is why we work to influence them. Transformations can happen in laws, policies, budgets, practices, systems, structures of state and non-state institutions and actors, duty bearers. 

Power to is the ability to act, the potential to make a difference and shape our lives and our own world, and the capacity to decide actions and carry them out. It can lead to changes in the condition of people living in poverty (tangible or intangible, social, political or economic), access to institutionalised services, formal control over resources, access to information and knowledge (visible), attitudes, personal values and experiential learning (invisible). 

For discussion:

• in your context or on your issue, identify existing examples of each of these.
• identify opportunities to build new forms of power to, power with and power within in future.

Resources

• Finding the Spaces for Change: A Power Analysis, J Gaventa, IDS Bulletin 37:6, November 2006.
• Ven Klassen and Miller 2002 “A new weave of power, people & politics: the action guide for advocacy and citizen participation”
• People’s Action in Practice, ActionAid, 2012
• www.policy-powertools.org - International Institute of Environment and Development website.
• www.powercube.net – Powerpack: Understanding Power for social change, Institute of Development Studies.
• Introduction to Spaces for Change by Andrea Cornwall and Vera Schattan P. Coelho.
• Power - Elite Capture and Hidden Influence, ActionAid, 2012
• Communication & Power, ActionAid, 2003.
• Critical Webs of Power and Change by Jennifer Chapman and Antonella Mancini, ActionAid 2005.