Informal Power Structures and Grassroots Politics in Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh

Social Change ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 605-622
Author(s):  
Balbir Singh
Keyword(s):  
Political Institutions ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Power Structure ◽  
Himachal Pradesh ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Grassroots Politics ◽  
Local Deity ◽  
Traditional Elite ◽  
Caste Groups ◽  
Formal Power

The study, based on outputs obtained from villages of Shillai block in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, looks at the informal power structure found in the state’s rural areas. Both formal and the informal power structures have historically coexisted but we will study various factors that empower informal power structures and critically contrast them to the equality-based, constitutionally legalised formal power structures. This entails an understanding of the basis of mobilisation and relationships among different caste groups, the role and influence of local deity institutions, the traditional elitist strata as well as the nature of institutions like Khumlis and their subsequent relationship with formal political institutions. This purposive, investigative and participatory study was conducted in the villages of Shillai block where the process of modernisation has been very slow. This is probably why the historically privileged, traditional elite and informal institutions continue to dominate the entire social structure. The marginalised stratum of society has consequently received minimum participation and representation in formal institutions or the legislating, executing and adjudicating of policies and decisions.

scholarly journals The Icelandic power structure revisited

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-34
Author(s):  
Gunnar Helgi Kristinsson
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Power Structure ◽  
Relative Strength ◽  
Political Elite ◽  
The Political ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Spheres Of Influence ◽  
Traditional Elite ◽  
Network Patterns ◽  
Elite Selection

Political scientists have developed three main interpretations of the Icelandic power structure – namely, traditional elitism, competitive elitism and professional pluralism. These can be seen to some extent as successive regimes, with traditional elitism prevalent in the nineteenth century, competitive elitism for much of the twentieth century and professional pluralism in more recent decades. However, their relative strength at different times, and the extent to which they still predominate, remains uncertain. This article evaluates how the different models reflect on the position of the political elite over time and how helpful they are in understanding contemporary power structures. Data on the composition of the political elite on one hand, and eight contemporary elite groups on the other are analysed in order to evaluate elite openness, elite selection and network patterns. The results provide support for conventional interpretations, in that competitive elitism replaced traditional elitism in important respects during the twentieth century, but has itself been replaced in many respects by professional pluralism. Accordingly, professional pluralism is characteristic of the contemporary power structure, with relatively open access to elite groups, strong influence of meritocratic and professional criteria and network patterns which are concentrated within, rather than across, spheres of influence. Remnants of traditional elite privilege and competitive elitism, where political parties play a central role, can be found in a number of areas, and professional pluralism has important elitist features.

scholarly journals A Model of Waste Price in a Symbiotic Supply Chain Based on Stackelberg Algorithm

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1740
Author(s):  
Cheng Che ◽  
Xiaoguang Zhang ◽  
Yi Chen ◽  
Liangyan Zhao ◽  
Zhihong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Power Structure ◽  
Income Level ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Optimal Price ◽  
Supply Chain System ◽  
Chain System ◽  
Revenue Model

By establishing a two-level symbiotic supply chain system consisting of one supplier and one manufacturer, we use Stackelberg method to analyze the optimal price and revenue model of supplier and manufacturer in the symbiotic supply chain under two power structures in which the supplier and manufacturer are dominant respectively, and analyze the influence of the degree of symbiosis and power structure on the model. Through comparative analysis, we find that: There is a relationship between the income level and the degree of symbiosis in the symbiotic supply chain. The change of power structure will affect the relative benefits of suppliers and manufacturers in the symbiotic supply chain. The manufacturer’s expected unit product revenue will affect the supply chain revenue when the manufacturer is dominant. Finally, the sensitivity analysis of relevant parameters is carried out through an example analysis, and the validity of the conclusion is verified. This paper has a guiding significance for the behavior of enterprises in the cogeneration supply chain.

Power Structure and its Communication Behavior in San José, Costa Rica

1967 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold T. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Power Structure ◽  
Standard Technique ◽  
Local Area ◽  
Communication Behavior ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
San Jose ◽  
Community Power ◽  
Power Studies ◽  
Community Power Structures ◽  
Problem Solving Process

The word “community” has been defined as a “structuring of elements and dimensions to solve problems which must be or can be solved within the local area.” This problem-solving process by which the community is directed, segmented, and formed into a structure has been the basis of many community power studies. Floyd Hunter was among the first to study this process, employing what has been termed the reputational method of community study. This method is now considered a standard technique for determining community power structures. It consists of a series of interviews with selected community knowledgeables who are asked to name the most influential individuals in the area. This is followed by a second round of interviews with those influentials who received the highest number of “votes” or mentions from the knowledgeables, asking them for a similar listing in order to rank the group of influentials according to their power in the community.

Trolls Just Want To Have Fun

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 21-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shefali Virkar
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Body Politic ◽  
The Body ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
The Government

Over the last two decades, public confidence and trust in Government has declined visibly in several Western liberal democracies owing to a distinct lack of opportunities for citizen participation in political processes; and has instead given way instead to disillusionment with current political institutions, actors, and practices. The rise of the Internet as a global communications medium and the advent of digital platforms has opened up huge opportunities and raised new challenges for public institutions and agencies, with digital technology creating new forms of community; empowering citizens and reforming existing power structures in a way that has rendered obsolete or inappropriate many of the tools and processes of traditional democratic politics. Through an analysis of the No. 10 Downing Street ePetitions Initiative based in the United Kingdom, this article seeks to engage with issues related to the innovative use of network technology by Government to involve citizens in policy processes within existing democratic frameworks in order to improve administration, to reform democratic processes, and to renew citizen trust in institutions of governance. In particular, the work seeks to examine whether the application of the new Information and Communication Technologies to participatory democracy in the Government 2.0 era would eventually lead to radical transformations in government functioning, policymaking, and the body politic, or merely to modest, unspectacular political reform and to the emergence of technology-based, obsessive-compulsive pathologies and Internet-based trolling behaviours amongst individuals in society.

scholarly journals Specialists for Crumble Cakes? The German LandFrauen Organizations in Social Innovation, and as Educational, Social, and Political Institutions

2021 ◽  
pp. 77-107
Author(s):  
Laura Suarsana
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Local Fields ◽  
Horizontal Structure ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Key Characteristics ◽  
Deep Integration

AbstractThis chapter presents empirical results on the German LandFrauen clubs and associations as contemporary elements of German civil society from the conceptual perspective of social innovation, as an approach which is expected to hold high potential particularly for rural areas. The analysis shows that the German LandFrauen clubs and associations are highly engaged in initiating change and development in rural Germany by uniquely addressing women’s needs through social, cultural, and educational offers. Here, the members’ social interactions function as a basis and starting point for further activities providing impulses in local development.As prerequisites that enable the LandFrauen to pursue their activities, two key characteristics were identified: (1) Their practices are integrated into specific local fields and highly adaptive to local needs and interests through the deep integration of the large and diverse base of members in their local villages and rural society, which allows for functions as local initiators, catalysts, and multipliers in regional development. (2) The institutional frame of clubs and associations allows for support, cooperation, and exchange across the vertical and horizontal structure, and provides access to resources and a broad network to external partners.

Innovations in Information and Communication Technology Platforms for Public Administration

2015 ◽  
pp. 23-43
Author(s):  
Shefali Virkar
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Liberal Democracies ◽  
Political Processes ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Technology Platforms ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Global Communications

Over the last two decades, public confidence and trust in government has declined visibly in several Western liberal democracies, owing to a distinct lack of opportunities for citizen participation in political processes, and has given way instead to disillusionment with current political institutions, actors, and practices. The rise of the Internet as a global communications medium has opened up huge opportunities and raised new challenges for government, with digital technology creating new forms of community, empowering citizens, and reforming existing power structures in a way that has rendered obsolete or inappropriate many of the tools and processes of traditional democratic politics. Through an analysis of the No. 10 Downing Street ePetitions Initiative based in the United Kingdom, this chapter seeks to engage with issues related to the innovative use of network technology by government to involve citizens in policy processes within existing democratic frameworks in order to improve administration, reform democratic processes, and renew citizen trust in institutions of governance.

Modeling and Implementation of Formal Power Structures in Enterprise Information Systems

2010 ◽  
pp. 174-188
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Organization Theory ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Enterprise Information ◽  
Enterprise Information Systems ◽  
Organizational Power ◽  
Authority Relations ◽  
Formal Power

The concepts of power and authority are inherent in human organizations of any type. In some organizations power relations on individuals are defined explicitly and formalized in organizational documentation. In other organizations power relations are implicit, less strict and may change depending on contextual conditions. As power relations have important consequences for organizational viability and productivity, they should be considered explicitly in enterprise information systems (EISs). Although organization theory provides a rich and very diverse theoretical basis on organizational power, still most of the definitions for power-related concepts are too abstract, often vague and ambiguous to be directly implemented in EISs. To create a bridge between informal organization theories and automated EISs, this chapter proposes a formal logic-based specification language for representing power- (in particular authority) relations and their dynamics. The use of the language is illustrated by considering authority structures of organizations of different types. Moreover, the chapter demonstrates how the formalized authority relations can be integrated into an EIS.

Innovation in ICT-Based Health Care Provision

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 14-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Synnøve Thomassen Andersen ◽  
Arild Jansen
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Care Provision ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Mobile Phone Technology ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Decentralized Model

This paper describes a project redesigning psychiatric services for children and adolescents, introducing a new decentralized model into the ordinary structures of health care services in rural areas in Norway by using mobile phone technology. The authors apply a multilayer and dialectic perspective in the analysis of the innovation process that created the ICT solution that supports this treatment model. The salient challenges of the project were related to the contradictions between the existing, dominant power structures and the emergent structures in the different layers of the design structures. As a result of the development process, a new model emerged with a larger potential for creating a new innovation path than if it had been linked to existing structures. This paper contributes to the understanding of how user-driven innovation can break with existing power structures through focusing on different layers in the change processes.

Ordering Antinomy: An Analysis of Early Mormonism's Priestly Offices, Councils, and Kinship

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Flake
Keyword(s):  
Gender Norms ◽  
Power Structure ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Divine Presence ◽  
Power Struggles ◽  
Joseph Smith ◽  
Stated Goal ◽  
Essential Question ◽  
Structural Coherence

AbstractMormonism's founder Joseph Smith created a complex and hieratic priestly structure within a radically democratizing nation. His stated goal was to convey to all the faithful what he believed to be his own powers of prophecy and priestly mediation of divine presence. Thus, out of historiographic arguments about where to place Mormonism within the narrative of antebellum religious polity there arises a potentially more essential question: how did early Mormonism sustain any structural coherence, much less the order it was famous for? This essay argues that Smith avoided the atomization of his movement by creating three power structures and assigning every believer a status in each. Thus, status was not absolute or static: it shifted as the person moved among the three sites of power. Or, in other words, the degree and nature of the authority held by anyone at any give time was particular to the locus of the power – office, council, or kinship – not the person. These shifting status relationships stabilized Mormonism's potentially self-destructive antinomianism and, as a historiographical matter, have been mistaken for populism. The power struggles this occasioned within his movement, particularly over Smith's inclusion of women in his priestly hierarchy, weakened his vision of reciprocal authority and shifting jurisdiction. Compromised by romanticized gender norms, but not abandoned, this power structure continues to constitute the governing structure of Mormonism, leaving it still republican in style, not substance. Historiographically, it is hoped that this closer analysis of Mormonism's polity illuminates the existence of alternatives to regnant tropes on the nature of antebellum religion and contributes to better understanding of the means by which at least one perfectionist religion has survived notwithstanding its radically antinomian tendencies.

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