What is power?

Power comes in many forms. The exact definition of power is hard to pin down, but a loose definition is the ability to control or manipulate others in any way shape or form. The more control you have over other people, and the more influential they are, the more power you have. In order to understand power, it is important to look at it in many contexts. Four good examples of power are the four central topics of the year.

The central topic of the first quarter was the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution was all about countries getting industrial power. This meant that they were racing to improve production in various industries. This would give them power over the customer. The revenue from making the products gives the companies power, since throughout history, money is always power.

In the second quarter, we studied imperialism. This was a stage in world history where the European countries were vying for power through control over parts of Africa. In imperialism, recourses were the main form of power, and Africa was full of untapped sources. Land, labor and capitol were

During third quarter, we studied conflict. Conflict is, simply, the struggle for power between people groups, or countries. Usually the struggles are centered on religion, political power, or social power. Conflict in Africa is mostly about which party controls the government of the country. Conflict in Europe during WWI and WWII, was about diverging ideas, Germany’s quest for power, and later, Germany’s hatred of the Jews. Conflict may have different combatants, but in the end, its all about power.

Quarter four was all about technology and globalization, aka how power will affect the future. In the future there will be different units of power, but most likely it will be technology. In the future, conflict will still have its roots in power.