Example and further meaning
Power mapping is
a visual tool used by social advocates to
identify the best individuals to target to promote social change. The role of relationships and networks is very important when advocates
seek change in a social justice issue. The power
mapping process entails the use of a visual tool to conceptualize the sphere of
a person or group's influence. The power map tool helps to visualize whom you
need to influence, who can influence your target and what can be done to
influence the identified person with power. Power Mapping is often
politically focused and is frequently used to persuade decision makers to
alter how they may vote on an issue. It can also be used to convince an
organization to take a stand, persuade a foundation to give your organization
a grant, or compel a newspaper to write a favorable editorial.
Powermap Example Steps to power mapping Before power mapping Identify and
familiarize oneself with target social problem and major players or decision
makers involved.
Step 1: Determine target Power mapping is a
visual tool that should be drawn. In the center is the person or institution
that can make the decision or enact desired changes to address the identified
social problem.
Step 2: Map influence to target Next, it is important
to think about associations, people or institutions that have relationships
with the target individual and can potentially influence them. These could
include work, political, family, religious and neighborhood ties and they
should be written in a ring around the problem. Creativity is important when
identifying potential associations (barber/hairdresser etc.). Also, strategy
is an important part of the process. Be sure to look at all major donors and
constituency groups the person has interacted with. Finally, be thorough in
the way you think about relationships. Spend time looking at each identified
associate and think about the people and institutions they are connected to.
Step 3: Determine relational power lines Begin to review the
network that you have created and determine any connections between the
target, as well as the different people and institutions. Remember to take
indirect connections into account as well for example, a decision maker may
not be directly involved with an organization, but may have family members
that are.
Step 4: Target priority relationships Circle the people with
the most power relational lines drawn to them and identify people with few
critical relational power lines that has a lot of influence. If there is
someone without a clear relationship then develop a plan to find out more
about the person.
Step 5: Make a plan Create action steps
for moving forward by determining the best way to access the individuals
through the relationships determined.
This is one of many
methods of power mapping. The Change Agency, Beautiful Trouble, Oxfam, and
others have developed others.
Power mapping in clinical practice Power mapping can be
helpful for the clinician and the
client or group to see environmental factors contributing to their identified
issue(s) as well as the potential strengths that can contribute to client
well-being. Power mapping has been used in the clinical setting in order to
enhance the life of the client and to measure the potential power of an
individual. In this setting, the power map is used as a visual tool showing
the potential assets and resources and can include proximal influences such
as: home and family life, education, social life, personal resources, job
situation/skills, and material resources.
This tool can look
similar to an ecomap, but can go further
in depth to account for the more distal influences such as: policy,
economics, culture, and the media. Power mapping can be beneficial when used
as a visual to determine the clients strengths as well as the areas that
cause the client the most distress and how the larger system may be a major
factor in an individuals issue. Power mapping can allow clients to be
enlightened on the systemic or institutional powers that contribute to the
damaging environment in which they may live. This allows the client to attach
personal challenges to the larger system and can bring with it a “significant
relief of distress” Power mapping “is likely in clinical use to vary from
individual to individual” According to
Hagan & Smail, maps can be used to:
1. Guide
the helper and client to map current circumstances. 2. Provide
a visual summary of clients' current/past position. 3. Target
areas for concert ed action to increase power. 4. Monitor
progress. 5. Measure
outcomes in mental health interventions. 6. Compare
client groups. 7. Microsoft
power map percentage still under process.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment