ABSTRACT

This article critically examines power relationships amongst actors in a local housing development project in the Khutsong township in South Africa. For this purpose, actors’ interpretations and actions of their project praxis are linked critically to Stephen Lukes’ dimensions of power. These are the first-dimensional decision-making and policymaking power, the second-dimensional attempts to control agendas and the third-dimensional capacity to frame public issues in a way that influences people’s perceptions of their interests. Lukes upholds a normative position toward power. It is important for him to identify those who dominate for their own interest. The Khutsong housing project is an interesting case study to apply Lukes’ theory. In this project powerholders attempted to implement their interpretations of reality as dominant. But the study demonstrates that there were several definitions and rationalities competing for dominance. The first dimension of power established a major outcome—the extensive housing project. On the second and third dimensions, space was identified for role players to also insert their interpretations into the project. This demonstrates that in this project domination was more complex than a straightforward relationship among power, agency and responsibility. Different parties affected agendas and the perceptions of interests.

摘要

本文批判性地考察了南非 Khutsong 镇当地住房开发项目中参与者之间的权力关系。为此，演员对其项目实践的解释和行动与斯蒂芬·卢克斯的权力维度密切相关。这些是第一维决策和决策权，第二维控制议程的尝试以及以影响人们对其利益的看法的方式构建公共问题的第三维能力。卢克斯坚持对权力的规范立场。对他来说，识别那些为了自己的利益而支配的人很重要。Khutsong 住房项目是应用卢克斯理论的一个有趣的案例研究。在这个项目中，当权者试图将他们对现实的解释视为主导。但该研究表明，存在多种竞争优势的定义和合理性。权力的第一个维度确立了一个主要成果——大规模的住房项目。在第二个和第三个维度上，为角色扮演者确定了空间，也可以将他们的解释插入到项目中。这表明在这个项目中，统治比权力、代理和责任之间的直接关系更复杂。不同的政党影响议程和利益观念。这表明在这个项目中，统治比权力、代理和责任之间的直接关系更复杂。不同的政党影响议程和利益观念。这表明在这个项目中，统治比权力、代理和责任之间的直接关系更复杂。不同的政党影响议程和利益观念。