Power

Power is a central concept in the social and human sciences. It is important topic of study as it can reveal who has power, where power lays, and how agents choose to use their power to achieve particular ends. However, power is not simple insofar as the term is amorphous, multi-faceted, and contested. There are elements of power associated with intent, resistance, and authority, discussion centered on visible and invisible types of power, and insights that reference hard power and soft power. In this entry we seek to provide an accessible introduction to the concept. We start by highlighting the key traditional definitions of power, we continue by highlighting the differing perspectives that key social science scholars have with regard to power and concludes with a brief overview of the various ways in which power has been applied to the study of sport.