Analysis of social power in the relationship between people with developmental disabilities and their service system

At issue in this research were problems encountered by people with developmental disabilities in overcoming inequities of historic treatment protocol, barriers to full participation, and difficulty in establishing a milieu in which the civil right of self determination was respected by both the system and community.;Ninety-three advisors to self-advocacy groups were surveyed on lifestyle circumstances of people with developmental disabilities. The primary research question asked whether the relational experiences of consumers could be dimensionalized into three factors or dimensions of power described by Gaventa (1980) and others. The findings of this study support the application of the multi-dimensional model of social power to the relationship between consumers and the service system.;Quantitative, qualitative, and case history data were used in the study. Three factors emerged from the data. Factor I, Superior Bargaining Power, related to the ability of the organization to reward and punish consumers and to make compliance a requirement for service delivery. Factor II, Control of Participation and Agendas, was concerned with the ability of the organization to construct barriers against system consumers' full participation in planning. Factor III, Internalization of Status, described the way in which internalization of beliefs about what is possible for a person limits their behavior. Factor analysis results were supported by qualitative data, and descriptions of life events from a previously published case study.;Findings were: power to control the agenda of politics, achieve superior bargaining power, determine which issues are discussed and which are not, and control ideology and status of others can not be adequately analyzed until power is seen as a function of collective forces and social arrangements (Lukes, 1974), though these are often hidden from casual observation.;This study attempted to illustrate the ways in which life events can be analyzed in the light of the literature on power to illuminate mechanisms at work in the relationship between people with developmental disabilities and their service system. This model was shown to be useful in thinking about the dynamics of this relationship. It is hoped that increased understanding will enhance the ability of people with developmental disabilities to effectively address their future concerns.