This far-reaching study gives a concise and coherent overview of the debates surrounding the analysis of social power. The concept of power is outlined, and its main dimensions are explored through consideration of various facets – command, pressure, constraint, discipline, protest, and interpersonal power. The book examines both the theoretical debates that have arisen and the kinds of empirical materials relevant to them.

Topics covered include the nature of the contemporary state, global economic power, world systems, business governance, professional power, social movements, and family dynamics.

Power will be an indispensable introduction for students and researchers in sociology, politics, and the social sciences generally.

John Scott is Professor of Sociology at the University of Essex and the University of Bergen.