Alex BudahlProfessor Amelia BergEnglish 101: Writing and RhetoricENGL 101-00310/30/2019

Power Essay

In today’s society everywhere you look you can find examples of someone exerting power over someone else. Whether it is in class, or at work we have an established hierarchy in most major aspects of our lives. I believe that this hierarchy while at times can feel oppressive it is necessary for a functioning society to prosper. It is important to understand exactly what the nature of a hierarchy is as well as being open to ideas against hierarchies.From the time we are young we are told where to go and what to do. First from our parents and later in school from teachers and principles to your boss at work.

We are taught from a young age to do what we are told and keep quiet. Those who don’t are sent to the principal's office or suffer disciplinary action at work. From a young age we see power and a hierarchy in action, always being led in the proper direction. In his book “The 48 Laws of Power” Robert Greene states “Throughout history, a court has always formed itself around the person in power - king, queen, emperor, leader”(Greene). Some may argue that for a society to function and grow this is necessary, as without direction we can be lost. Others may argue that having this hierarchy of power creates an unhealthy race to the top and is too constricting on people and their free will.An important term to understand is social stratification, which is the way a society of a certain group divides its various classes. When evaluating class and how they are divided in society there are two main theories associated with the social construct in America. The Max Weber theory and Karl Marx Theory are two different views that are often used to explain this and help us better understand what it is(Hierarchystructure). In Karl Marx’s theory our social classes in society are defined by how productive and how capable the individual is. He believed what determined your future was based upon production, and that society could be split into two different classes, like the capitalist class and working class. Max Weber's ideas were similar although he advocated that a huge determining factor for your class depended on economic condition. While Karl argued more for the production of the individual, Max argued for the idea of your economic potential as being more important.The Karl Marx theory and the Max Weber theory are good ways to see how classes are divided, and in the US classes are typically divided into six classes. These classes include the capitalist, upper middle, middle, working, working poor, and underclass(Hierarchystructure). Starting at the bottom the underclass is the worst possible state you can be in, in this stage people are typically dependent on government programs to survive. The working poor class are one step above but not by much. This class typically includes low skilled workers and is usually where people start their journey into the workforce with things like fast food. The working class contains those more competent but not specialized in a field, meaning they can’t move up the ladder and make a higher wage. The middle class is where we start to see a livable wage and can be jobs varying from plumbing to even nursing. They recieve a liveable salary, but not paid as much as the upper middle class. This class is for the well educated and are typically in management positions. They are very specialized and have gone through lots of schooling so they are paid very well. Finally the capitalist class, which consists of the top of the top and people who are owners of companies and real estate or were born into their position.Hierarchies have been around since recorded civilization and are found in nature, since it has been around for so long it cleary has some benefits. In a perfect world a hierarchy can help everyone whether it be an employee at work or a student in school it can help everyone see where they fit into things. When done right they can help organize a mass of information to make things more efficient, as often structure can help lead to success. Bob Sutton a Stanford professor wrote an article titled “Hierarchy is Good. Hierarchy is Essential. And Less Isn’t Always Better” in defense of hierarchies stating that they are inevitable and necessary for people and organizations(Sutton). For his first argument, he states that whether researchers were evaluating people or monkeys hierarchies seemed to form very quickly. Even when people first meet they quickly form an unspoken hierarchy between them, meaning that this hierarchy is deeply imbedded in our nature and will come out sooner or later. His other argument states that while some hierarchies may be better structured than others, some hierarchy is better than none. He says researchers found that members in a group become less committed to their group, become less productive and creative, and their overall performance and cooperation start to decline when the hierarchy structure is removed(Sutton).There are a seemingly endless reasons why hierarchies help us be more productive and efficient, but as with anything else there can be drawbacks. A common fear for those first entering the workforce is having the mean boss, the boss who abuses his power over you to take the most from you as they can, while giving you the least they can. In “Mon Oncle Antoine” the beginning scene depicts Joe Paulin being reprimanded by his English boss. When he is leaving he remarks that he doesn’t care for the man and that he doesn’t even speak English. In a hierarchy that is not properly structured communication can be one sided and often ignored if not all parties agree(Mon Uncle Antoine). The thought of power in the workforce can be scary, and with a hierarchy structure if your company doesn’t have a competent human resources team you may be left with no options but to leave. In an article written by Jacob Morgan titled “When is Hierarchy Bad, and When is it Not?” he states that hierarchies can sometimes represent a pyramid, where orders come from the top down to the bottom and no one can question anything. If the hierarchy becomes stagnant then employees do not have a chance to express any concerns or make any requests to those higher up in the pyramid as well as making communication in general more difficult(Morgan).Having a hierarchy can be seen as both a blessing and a curse, but is having one necessary. As stated earlier everywhere in nature we can observe hierarchy’s taking place in nature, and when one isn’t established one quickly is. Rod Collins wrote an article for the Huffington Post titled “Is Hierarchy Really Necessary?” and says that while hierarchies are a part of nature there is a distinction to be made between that and the social constructions that we use for our hierarchies(Collins). In nature we can observe a bottom-up structure, and this is what we currently have in our society. Rod says while a top-down system could be useful in maintaining equilibrium, but not adapting to rapidly changing circumstances. We are on the verge of something new he believes however, in what he calls the “network effect”. With the introduction of modern cell phones and social media we are more connected with each other than ever before, and we are just seeing the beginning of all the changes it will bring. He says this is likely to change our understanding of the nature of hierarchies and make us more competent in learning what works best(Collins).When looking at the current hierarchical status of America, there are many positives to look at it. It keeps our society organized and running efficiently by providing a line of organized communication to keep every part running smoothly. There are obviously negatives to consider as well, such as when communication doesn’t flow properly, or when those on top are corrupt. Despite these negatives hierarchies are everywhere in nature, and in our past and current societies. While having a hierarchy is likely the only way our society will continue to prosper, that doesn’t mean there are not improvements that can be made and we should never stop evaluating it to produce a more productive society.

Works CitedGreene, Robert, and Joost Elffers. The 48 Laws of Power. Penguin Books, 2000.Hierarchystructure. “Social Hierarchy in America.” Hierarchy Structure, 14 Nov. 2017, https://www.hierarchystructure.com/social-hierarchy-in-america/.Sutton, Bob. “Hierarchy Is Good. Hierarchy Is Essential. And Less Isn't Always Better.” LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140112221140-15893932-hierarchy-is-good-hierarchy-is-essential-and-less-isn-t-always-better.Mon Oncle Antoine. Directed by Claude Jutra, Office National Du Film Du Canada (ONF), 1971Morgan, Jacob. “When Is Hierarchy Bad, and When Is It Not?” Inc.com, Inc., 25 June 2016, https://www.inc.com/jacob-morgan/when-is-hierarchy-bad-and-when-is-it-not.html.Collins, Rod. “Is Hierarchy Really Necessary?” HuffPost, 7 Dec. 2017, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/is-hierarchy-really-neces_b_9850168.