tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805290335961306135.post7385315960881538418..comments2023-02-10T14:51:43.108-05:00Comments on There are More Things in Heaven and Earth: A Nasty Eleven-Letter-WordBilliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05444391902853133843noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805290335961306135.post-85950731510054832122011-06-07T20:44:10.481-04:002011-06-07T20:44:10.481-04:00Let me make my surrender official. Y'all have ...Let me make my surrender official. Y'all have convinced me, there are legitimate uses for the word. I still think that it is sometimes used in a self-defeating way but there certainly are cases where the concept is appropriate. Thanks for all of the feedback here and on FB.Billiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05444391902853133843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805290335961306135.post-60775073591777286862011-06-02T17:52:30.732-04:002011-06-02T17:52:30.732-04:00I see and agree with the preception of condescensi...I see and agree with the preception of condescension that goes along with the notion that you are empowering someone, but I am not sure if it's avoidable or intentional and to some extant a "should happen" kind of thing (the empowerment that is). At the risk of sounding racist and condescending myself, your perspective is one of someone whose culture has at least in recent history has had the power. You are white middle class (or at least you grew up that way). <br /><br />For example, Equal Opportunity Employment blah blah, though probably not as needed at it once was still has its role to play. This law "empowered" the African-American and other previously "unempowered" (which included women) to find opportunities that they were otherwise denied. Within the last month or so, there was a story of an African-American who was denied promotions within a certain government agency. At first it seemed to him that it was normal denials, until it seemed that he was being passed for promotions an inordinate number of times by even less qualified white candidates. (This happened over several years, so it was not a knee-jerk reaction and an immediate emotional reaction to being passed up). He finally pointed out the discrepancy to the appropriate agency and the agency agreed with him. Although the man had won the case, he did not gloat and he seemed even saddened by the fact that he had to resort to such measures.<br /><br />One of the things that I think America can be proud of is the fact that we have measures in place to empower the unempowered. Although I suspect these measures can and has been abused, one could blame the fact that the abuses occurred prior to the need for the measures. Sorry if that didn't make any sense. It made sense to me at one point, but I'm not even sure what my point was. <br /><br />Another usage of the word "empower" is frequently used when we say that we are encouraging someone to behave poorly. It is a typical argument against legalizing marijuana (sp?) or handing out condoms to adolescents. <br /><br />Meh, it's just a word, get over it, heh. You are "empowering" the word with too much "empowerment."<br /><br />Like the first commenter I had organized thoughts at the beginning, but they have all escaped me now. But the first commenter did a much better job at keeping it together than I did, heh.<br /><br />By the way, I enjoy reading your thoughts, but must admit that I probably read them in a predatory manner to simply "disagree" with them. :)KluLeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02726140133227982613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5805290335961306135.post-91435645691435618912011-06-01T14:37:51.759-04:002011-06-01T14:37:51.759-04:00Crap, so I just wrote a really long, much more tho...Crap, so I just wrote a really long, much more thought out comment, but lost it, so instead, here are a few quick, less put together thoughts... <br /><br />Hmmmm, a la Foucault, I think it is damn near impossible to avoid power in relationships. I agree that it should not be the focus, but I think ignoring its operations might be something that avoids reality and thus accountability. <br /><br />Your criticisms of the nature of the term itself is interesting... I am more concerned with the realities of power in relationships, and would love to hear more of your thoughts on that front, but agree with some of your critiques on a different account--insofar that the term assumes a sort of particular balance of power and thus negates what it attempts to do. Though, I do like, to some degree, what it insinuates. One of the community organizing groups I've worked with (Industrial Areas Foundation) has as its organizing principle, its "iron rule" so to speak, "Never do for others what they can do for themselves." This is what I think of when I think of empowerment....Brandy Danielshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09112909520849859444noreply@blogger.com