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Politics of aid / Backgrounder

Empowerment

09/05/2006 By Publicaciones FRIDE

Many of the theories associated with empowerment have examined the idea of power, its use and its distribution, as a key point in understanding social transformation. The origins of the theories on power date back to the  1970s.

The discourse from the schools of modernisation and dependence placed the cause of underdevelopment in the relationship between power and poverty. Freire’s theory argued that only access to real power could end what he named “the culture of silence,” characterised by the dependence and marginalisation of those without power.

The sum of these theories and the failure of the development programmes of the 80's were the catalysts that made bilateral and multilateral agencies understand that the only way to break the cycle of poverty was through structural reform and a more equitable distribution of power.

A review of the concept of power, within the context of development, reveals two clear distinctions between negative and positive power, although their nomenclature varies according to each author.
In the negative perception, power is the means to achieve deep change and a way for those who do not have  power to confront those who do. This interpretation argues that significant change can only be achieved if  the existing patterns of power are challenged directly.

A more constructive definition of the term is the power to do, of being capable, and of having a greater feeling of control over situations. According to this point of view, the individual is considered as having an active role, and due to his critical outlook, he can be active in any development programme.

This perception implies breaking away from the idea that the individual is a passive being and transforms him into a legitimate actor in development.

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Publishing groups

Empowerment

Keywords

Aid management Development Poverty reduction

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