Compare The Various Forms Of Power

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The forms that power takes differ through history and according to place. Discuss.

Power has the capacity to influence and control the human mind; it is a pandemic, which invades every crevice of our modern capitalistic society. Historically, power in its countless forms convinces and manipulates ideologies, thus the control that power provides, can benefit or harm a society depending on the minds or intuitions which choose to exercise it. The stereotypical characteristics of power, such as size and strength are explored through dominating developed countries. Historically, they possess the power and decide upon the survival of small island nations. However, the power is shifted in the fight to alleviate climate change, as small nations
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The recent discovery of the ‘widespread ' (Barnett,J.and Campbell, J.2010.) dangers of climate change has become the subject of urgency for developing pacific islands. The environmental issue has developed over the progression of time through the worldwide production of fossil fuels and currently poses a life-threatening problem to be solved. The "consensus that climate change is extremely dangerous for small island developing states (SIDS)" is widely accepted however it does indeed pose a potential harm for all of humanity. Unfortunately, the power to alleviate such pressures lies in the hands of dominant, economically developed countries such as the United States and China. Power can be drawn from a place or geographic positioning, for example, the "North-South equity divide" (O 'Brien, K. and Leichenko, R. 2010.) has created a large disparity in our society. SIDS are economically and geographically disadvantaged, thus vulnerable and overshadowed by developed countries who are both geographically benefited and economically structured. There is an issue regarding "who pays the costs and who bears the burdens for emissions reductions" (O 'Brien, K. and Leichenko, R. 2010.) as the "relatively better-off regions tended to be less likely to experience the effects”. For example the SIDS face "a life-threatening human welfare problem that circumscribes the potential for development" (O 'Brien, K. and Leichenko, R. 2010.). However, The minimal amount of research associated with climate change and its inferior historical impact articulates the " insignificant recognition of the real magnitude of climate change dangers in the Pacific". (Barnett,J.and Campbell, J.2010.) Therefore, the already ‘unequal power relationships" (O 'Brien, K. and Leichenko, R. 2010.) in society continue to separate, as the

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