Power and Politics

Basics of Studying Power

By G. William Dmhoff

According to the article Basics of Studying Power, “Power” is about being able to realize wishes, to produce the effects you want to produce. To study power is important to develop indicators of power. Indicators are usually different; they cover different types so the irrelevant aspects will be cancelled by one another. If a proposition is confirmed by two or more indicators, the uncertainty of the interpretation is significantly reduced. The four indicators used by researchers for many years are: who benefits (having things that are valued in the society); who governs (have preference in seats, for example); who wins (win having arguments over issues); and reputation for power (who stands out in the eyes of their peers). Who governs and who wins are the most used and accepted.

The article also describes the basic Axioms about Power. The first one is power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely; it gives examples of how people in high position such as CEOs might change their behavior along time and start treating people badly that proves the expression “The arrogance of power”. The second axiom is how powerful always try to create an outside enemy; the human tendency to divide people into “us” and “them”. The third is divide and conquer; followers have to be faithfully to leaders in order to be favored and not punished. The fourth one provides the followers with bread and circuses; everyday life needs to be possible so people won’t try to challenge a power structure. The fifth and last one is that the powerful believe that the enemy of their enemy is their friend.

Social Cohesion & the Bohemian Grove The Power Elite at Summer Camp

by G. William Domhoff, U.C. Santa Cruz

G. William Domhoff and U.C. Santa Cruz wrote an article about Bohemian Grove. They suggest that summer distention is the equivalent of a summer camp that children are sent to for the summer season. The Bohemian Grove is a 2,700-acre virgin redwood grove in Northern California, 75 miles north of San Francisco. It is a place for individuals gather when they take time off from their daily occupation schedule. The Bohemian Grove has stringent membership requirements, long waiting lists, and high dues. Bohemian Grove is a place where the rich and powerful relax, enjoy each other's company, and get to know some of the artists, entertainers, and professors who are included to give the occasion a thin veneer of cultural and intellectual pretension. It is for those who are wealthy, and powerful. Sometimes visitors at the

Bohemian Grove included future and former presidents of the United States. It is suggested that this camp is related to a summer camp because of the activities that take place by those who are visiting. A few activities that take place there resemble those of a fraternity party in the woods; a boy scout camp for old guys, complete with an initiation ceremony and a totem animal, the owl. With members having to been placed on a wait list and have to pay higher membership fees, makes them feel as if they are likely to think of themselves as "special" people, which would heighten their attractiveness to each other, and increase the likelihood of

interaction and cohesiveness. A key conclusion that was reached in this article was that physical proximity is increased by those at Bohemian Grove during the summer than in the rest of the year and their normal lives. The best atmosphere for increasing group cohesiveness is one that is relaxed and cooperative. This type of atmosphere is provided at Bohemian Grove.

The Physical proximity of visitor while at Bohemian Grove the setting allows for a more intimate physical proximity that implies that cohesiveness develops. Visitors to the grove taking part in activities together provide more interaction with others at the grove than others that are in

their daily lives away from the grove. This suggests that the more people interact, the more they come to like each other. The more they like each other tighter and stronger relationship will develop between individuals. At Bohemian Grove there is a wide variety of small groups which encourage face-to-face interaction and ensure status and security for members. As human beings, there is the need to come to trust each other, and learn to work together. Final and key conclusions that was reached in this article was social cohesion is helpful in reaching agreement when issues are introduced into experimental groups for resolution. Suggestions that the individuals that attended the Bohemian Grove make relationships that they deliberate possible solutions to concerns of another’s either at the camp or once they have left the camp for the season. In the end of this article one will understand that Bohemian Grove is a summer distention for those who are considered to be power elites and participate in younger age activities and make relationships for later discussions on serious concerns, or to make good connections between those who are in higher power than themselves.

Race, Ethnicity, and Nationalism Unit 8

Without Sanctuary 

Lynching, it seems, is a sport that is meant only for the pale-skinned man. But not only one, for there appeared to be a large crowd gathered. They all were cheering, and yelling as though they were in a sports arena. The main aspect of the game was to beat, hang, and kill the dark-skinned man. It was difficult to watch such a spectacle; however what’s intriguing is the attitude of the men and women at the scene. They were hardly affected by the violence. It was normal, fun for them. They seemed to have no reservation. It hardly needs mentioning that they saw this dark-skinned as nothing like themselves, but from an outsiders perspective they had many similar characteristics.

What was more shocking was the aftermath. They didn't leave the scene sober, or even on fire with hate, as one would expect for the vicious hunt, they stayed and surveyed their work. The crowd would take pride in it. Some took pictures, gathering the group together in a pose around the body. Others would bring out drinks to celebrate a job well done. Only after all was finally done, they departed a proud gathering.

All in all, it was a brutal event that made one’s blood run cold, but feel the infectious energy and blood-lust at the same time.

Italian Americans Ethnic Group

The Italian Immigration History

Between 1876 to 1976 natural disasters, poverty and overpopulation in Italy resulted in their emigration to America. The U.S. had the largest number of Italian immigrants, about 484,027 Italian immigrants population by 1900, and most concentrated in New York and Pennsylvania. However, they made-up only 1.5% of the entire U.S. population. Because many other nations were also migrating to the U.S. and the majority in the country was already American born, the Italians didn't the same good impact as they did in Brazil and Argentina. By that time there was not as much cheap land in the U.S., which drove the Italians to live in the cities, starting from the bottom and working hard on jobs that others wouldn't do for a relatively high wage. Because most of the Italians Immigrants didn’t see the migration to the U.S. as permanently, they didn't live in very good conditions in order to save money to return to a better life in the country of their birth. Those immigrants were referred to as “birds of passage”. About 20 to 30 percent of Italian immigrants returned to Italy permanently after reaching their goal plan in the U.S.

The "Little Italies"

Italians are known for clustering into group, leading to reliance to families, kin and networks to form "Little Italies". They would also cluster by region upon their own region in Italy, resulting in more than 90 percent settled in only 11 states—New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, and Louisiana. These patterns continue the same today. The formation of Little Italies was a result of the American society hostility as the Italians suffered from discrimination in employment and housing. The immigrants then had their own world society through the Little Italies, with Italian language institutions helping their ethnic culture – such as churches, mutual aid societies, newspapers, theaters, coffee shops and recreational clubs. The goal of Little Italies “were constantly evolving, providing for a dynamic interplay between older forms brought from Italy and new inventions forged in the United States.”

Italy's alliance with the United States in the World War I and the service of many immigrants in the U.S. military helped to change the American acceptance towards to the Italian Americans. However, during war years, U.S. prohibitions lead to profitable illegal markets in which some Italian Americans successfully got involved into, scratching the conception of Italians as dangerous radicals. The second Italian Americans generation was in constant conflict with the first when emerging into their ethnic communities and problems of lack of self-esteem, rebellion, marginality and delinquency were the outcomes. Thus, the structures of Little Italies began to change. Italian-language institutions founded by immigrants, started to disappear as the second generation became more Americanized.

References:

Digital History. (n.d.). Italian Imigration. Retrieved from http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/italian_immigration.cfm

Pozzetta, G. (2000) Italian Americans. Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America. The Gale Group Inc.