Powers!
What personal experiences have I had with social power? Well, I’d like to think of myself as being very socially powerful, just about as powerful as the next guy.
The phrase “just one person” normally represents a disheartened attitude, shared amongst those who feel that as individuals they lack the power to manifest significant or meaningful changes in the world around them. I believe this negative attitude is the result of a culture that focuses it’s attention more on the desires of the individual than those of the collective. It’s true that there may be no politicians or bureaucrats running for election that represent my values and opinions exactly, and it’s true that by voting for candidate A or B I am not voting for someone who will truly represent me, but I don’t think this makes my vote worthless. Instead, one needs to consider their values and desires and how those may be shared and thus amplified by forming affinity groups.
Another example of my massive social powers; I am a vegetarian. By not eating meat and by eating fewer animal products I hope to reduce the demand for such products, and hopefully reduce their production. I believe such a change greatly lessens my impact upon the environment, reduces my responsibility for the suffering of other creatures, and encourages a lifestyle that is more considerate of my own health. Now, my dietary choices by themselves aren’t going to bring the massive livestock industry crashing down, but that doesn’t make them insignificant.
The smallest of my social powers here is probably that of my money. The money I would otherwise be spending on meat and animal products represents the most minuscule fraction of the industry’s income. The CEOs and financial accountants were most likely not shaking in their boots upon my deceleration of vegetarianism. Some of my more potent powers include my ability to be a model for others. If I can live a life according to certain principles and be just as happy as (or even more so than) others, then I am setting an example of a goal that is easily attainable. Such modeling sets the stage for others to act with their own social power. At the same time it is an act that challenges social norms. Simply by being concerned about the impact of the food I eat I am shifting away from the standard operating procedures. Advertisers tells us that meat is a material, not an animal. McDonalds tell us that large hamburgers equate to machismo. The USDA (under lobbyist influence) tells us that milk is the best source of calcium. Making your own decisions based on your own research and understanding terrifies all of them.
My powers extend into the garden as well. Along with other members of G.R.U.B. I plant vegetables and other palatable plants on land donated to our organization by members of the local community. We grow organically and redistribute the harvest amongst community members and ourselves. By directly connecting myself to the source of my food, I have discovered another social power. I am no longer as dependent on others (in so many different ways) to sustain myself. I have discovered the taste of autonomy, and it is much like the taste of tomatoes, radishes, broccoli, beets, basil, butternut squash, chard, kale, peppers, potatoes, and green beans.
The gardening group is composed entirely of volunteers and is a non-profit organization always open to those who want to help, learn to grow, or just get their hands dirty. If I can share my experience with others and allow them to find such social powers within themselves, then I really am a social force. If just one can influence another, and they in turn can influence more, the social power is amplified and enriched. What can begin as the vision, values, or hope of one person can grow into a movement that unites communities and fills bellies, or it can falter and collapse into nothing. I guess it all depends on how you look at the idea of “just one person”.