Having established reflexivity as a foundational process shaping symbolic cosmoses, we now explore how power relations operate within and through reflexive collective construal.
1. Power as a Relational Phenomenon in Symbolic Contexts
Power is not a fixed resource but emerges dynamically:
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It manifests in the capacity to shape, limit, or enable specific interpretations and symbolic articulations.
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Power relations are embedded in the symbolic architectures that structure collective construal.
2. Reflexivity and the Control of Meaning
Reflexivity provides means to:
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Monitor and contest symbolic frameworks.
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Institutionalise dominant interpretations or subvert them.
This tension defines much of social conflict and transformation.
3. Mechanisms of Symbolic Power
Symbolic power operates via:
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Legitimation of norms, knowledge, and discourses.
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The creation and enforcement of collective memory and identity.
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Gatekeeping of symbolic resources and communicative channels.
4. Reflexivity as Both Enabler and Constraint
While reflexivity can foster critical awareness and innovation, it can also:
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Be co-opted to reinforce hegemonic narratives.
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Produce self-limiting feedback loops within symbolic orders.
Understanding power’s reflexive dimension is crucial for grasping how symbolic realities are maintained and transformed. The subsequent post will examine strategies of resistance and alternative symbolic imaginaries within collective construal.
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