| This paper examines the micro-practices of power and privilege through one-on-one interviews with 19 upper class white males who work in high performance, high stakes, hierarchical work environments in business and finance. While research on these kinds of men tends to focus on their place in the "ownership class," and analyzes the ways in which they affect the lives of others, this paper views these "power holders" as "power subjects," focusing on the ways in which these men negotiate and adapt to the conditions within which they seek power rather than assuming that they have control over the resources and decision making capabilities by which they attain power. This paper focuses on the way in which these elite white men negotiate the dynamic between the promise of dominance (which occurs primarily at the level of cultural ideals) and the requirements of compliance (which occurs primarily in the practical functions of the organization). Building on the work of Erving Goffman and performance theorists, particular attention is given to issues of self-presentation. I argue that power in business, for the individual, involves less dominance and aggression than it does adaptation. Particularly useful was the ability to call on different versions of the self that are congruent with situational demands. Furthermore, issues of privilege, in terms of gender, race, and class, and its role in facilitating this kind of congruence are considered. |
