The Elements of Personal Empowerment

Although the theoretical writers seem to emphasize different aspects of empowerment, there is some consensus over the importance of acquiring knowledge and skills in the process of becoming empowered. Solomon (1976) believes that liberation for common interest groups comes only through the definition and transmission of the knowledge base that defines the group experience. Others focus on the importance of attaining and sharing specific professional content, skills, and resources as a fundamental contribution to the empowerment of social workers (Pinderbughes, 1983; Sherman & Wenocur, 1983).

Collective identity, the second domain of empowerment, refers to the tendency for perceptions of power or powerlessness to occur in the context of group membership. Some (Kahn, 1982; Staples, 1990) suggest that the group experience mediates the personal awareness of power and, ultimately, its demonstration in the lives of individuals. Torre (1986) submits that primary group associations tend to link the individual to larger societal institutions resulting in a sense of participation. Accordingly, power generated through collectivities affects individuals through a cumulative and reciprocal effect.

The third component of empowerment is loosely referred to as critical awareness, or the ability to form and express sophisticated judgments about one's world. Freire (1970) believes that, as a result of the acquisition of untainted knowledge, "[people] develop their power to perceive critically the way they exist in the world" (pp. 70-71). This belief is consistent with Torre's (1986) judgment that "empowerment involves gaining a critical awareness of the political, economic, and social systems and of one's place within these systems" (p. 40). As a palliative to the dilemma of human service workers who attempt to empower clients while also trying to maintain personal and professional power, empowerment occurs when workers give up the position of benefactor and gain a better critical perspective on their own and their clients' lives (Pinderbughes, 1983).

The dimension of self-concept encompasses a more traditional view of empowerment rooted in individual self-appraisal. Positive self-valuation and confidence are central to this aspect of the empowerment process and are precursors to the development of a sense of control and causal importance (Kieffer, 1981; Pinderbughes, 1983). Self-concept is not confined to a static perception of self but, rather, refers to the individual as an active participant in the social environment Staples (1990), although primarily taking a collective orientation toward empowerment, says that the ultimate goals of collective action should be reducible to the enhancement of the individuals that constitute the group.

A fifth component of empowerment is the propensity to act, concisely defined as ''reflective action directed towards achieving better balanced power relations" (Torre, 1986, p. 43). This definition suggests that empowered people will ultimately engage in more meaningful activity for themselves. Pinderhughes' (1983) view of action focuses more on other-directed behavior, primarily involving clients. She sees the results of empowerment as manifesting in more effective professional strategies by workers to assist clients through sharing power and helping them mobilize their own resources.

The next domain is the psycho-spiritual dimension. Contemporary theologians like Paul Tillich have forwarded spiritual empowerment as an essential ingredient to a fulfilled life. Countless others over the ages have found a life incorporating a belief system to be the single most important factor to imparting meaning and depth and direction to their lives. Even fundamentalist/evangelical preachers have invoked the empowerment terminology but I would caution against pursuing any set of beliefs that is rigid and dogmatic or contains the seeds of self and other judgment. In a nutshell, this component concerns a personal belief system that provides a greater meaning to one’s life or, to invoke terminology popularized in 12 step programs, finding a power greater than one’s self which may prove sufficient to move one forward in the face of challenges and obstacles.

The final dimension we’ll discuss is that of somatic perception. Most writers, theorists and clinicians agree that a perception of one’s own physical health and power is the bedrock on which all these others are grounded. This “somatic” perception is so important, but also so obvious, that we almost take it for granted and don’t address it fully. We’ll talk much more about this but for now be aware that our perceptions of ourselves as physical beings has a profound influence on the way we view the external world. The areas we “self-evaluate”, almost unconsciously, run from our sense of weight and physical type to our desires and moods.

One construct, comprised of two component elements, is that of efficacy. Efficacy is primarily one’s view of one’s own competence and his or her ability to effect change within the environment. For the most part when we discuss efficacy we are referencing the combination of knowledge, skills and self-concept discussed above. In summary then, efficacy is generally defined as an evaluation of one’s ability to impact and influence the external environment and contains two core components: 1) A propensity to act in a forceful and dynamic way that is meaningful in the individual’s or others lives, and 2) A perception of possessing knowledge and skills sufficient to engage in a significant manner events in one’s own life.

References and Articles on Empowerment

England, H. (1986). Social work as art. Boston: Allen & Unwin.

Frans, D. (in press). Computer diffusion and worker empowerment. Computers in Human Services.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogue of the oppressed. New York: Continuum.

Kahn, S. (1982). Organizing: A guide for grass roots leaders. New York: McGraw-HilI. Kieffer, C. (1981). The emergence of empowerment: The development of participatory competence among individuals in citizen organizations. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Pinderbughes, E. (1983). Empowerment for our clients and ourselves. Social Casework, 64,
331-338.

Liven, F., & Cloward, R. (1971). Regulating the poor: The functions of
public welfare. New York: Vintage.

Ryan, W. (1971). Blaming the victim. New York: Random House.

Sherman, W., & Wenocur, S. (1983). Empowering public welfare workers through mutual support. Social Work, 28, 375-379.

Solomon, B. (1976). Black empowerment: Social work in oppressed communities. New York: Columbia University Press.

Staples, L. (1990). Powerful ideas about empowerment. Administration in Social Work, 14, 29-42.

Sudman, S. (1976). Applied sampling. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Torre, D. (1986). Empowerment: Structured conceptualization and instrument development.Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Wells, R. (1982). Knowing and caring. New York: University Press of America.

Zeller, R., & Cannines, E. (1979). Measurement in the social sciences. New York: Cambridge University Press.