How does power influence how we treat others?

Name
Course
Tutor
Date
Power and Influence
The idea of power in a social psychology aspect can be looked at from two different points of view. First is the idea of the person who assumes the position of power, their motives and goals. The second perspective is the determinants of the response by the recipients of power. Power and influence are defined here using a combination of both the determinants of the excision of power, as well as the recipients’ response (Tedeschi, 63). In a social construct, power describes the situation where one can force their will despite opposition from others.
In this paper, four topics are discussed concerning the influence of powerful people, such as politicians, influential social constructs such as the internet and its impact on women, as well as the impact of people’s opinions on others.
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was a dictator who led the Nazi party, the most racist party (Haugen, 9). Hitler’s party rose to power after the World War one when Germany was under economic, social and political desperation. He was born in 1889 in Austria, son of Klara Polzi and Alois Hitler (17). After the World War One broke out, Hitler made an application to join the German since he had moved to Munich (27). In 1914, his application for joining the German army went through despite the fact he was still a citizen of Austria. He participated in most of the important battles and also got wounded on the battlefield at the Somme. Hitler received awards because of his bravery on the battlefield.

Hitler is an excellent example of the power of influential people. He declared the formation of a new government in a public meeting which featured the prime minister, and also organized a coup to overthrow the government which led to several deaths but if failed (Haugen, 32). During his rule, he started numerous initiatives; most of which involved him influencing his citizens. Among his most powerful policies include the persecution of Jews, anti-smoking campaigns, as well as numerous invasions. He utilized his position in power to enforce dictatorship in Germany, which ended in the death of millions of people. Hitler was a German chancellor who served as a dictator for most of his time in power. His powerful policies brought about the Second World War and the genocide whose aim was to eliminate the Jewish community. The genocide resulted in many deaths since mass executions took place in extermination camps set by Hitler.
Impact of social media on women
A study was conducted, and it indicated that social media had an impact in the increase of obsessive and negative thoughts on women regarding their appearance. The study was conducted by Florida State University on a group of women. Some of the women were supposed to spend approximately twenty minutes on Facebook, and another group was to spend twenty minutes in the internet researching on cats living in rainforests. The group of women who spent twenty minutes on the social media underwent body dissatisfaction as compared to those researching on rainforest cats. According to an expert on body image, social media may not attribute to low self-esteem to women, but it has all the elements that attribute to it. Social media creates a platform where disordered behaviors and thoughts succeed (Weiner).
For women who are susceptible to disordered eating, perfection, and anxiety, images advertised on social media of thinness can falsely advertise prescription for happiness. There is a universal feeling of wanting to be accepted, but the social media provides a platform for insecurities since a lot of the information is based on the idea of collecting likes and feedback (Weiner).
Powerful people such as politicians have more influence over people
A politician being a person who is professionally involved in a countries politics, seeking for a seat or a holder of a government office. Most of the politicians in the office usually use influence more than power to get things done. Politicians running for government offices have a lot of money which gives them the power to do as they wish. During campaigns, they can use an unlimited amount of money on people to promote their influence (Frumin). Wealthy politicians have the ability to influence the election due to the unlimited amount of money they give to people. In response, voters choose one politician over another depending on the influence they have had on them. The act of voting in itself is an excellent example of how voters respond to political influence.
We become who we are because of how everyone treats us
People have emotions, and they can easily be affected by what other people treat them. A person being treated as a loser may tend to ignore it and become a better person to prove them wrong, and another person may be affected by being called a loser and start behaving like one. A person negatively affected by how they are being treated by everyone is suffering from a common psychological condition known as an inferiority complex. It’s usually an indication of a person having doubt and losing self-worth. If a person feels like they are being misused, or abused by some of the people in their lives or even taken for granted, they should have a self-check. A person may be influenced positively or negatively regarding on how everyone is treating them. People may treat a person in a challenging manner in the aim of that person becoming a better person (Nelson).
Conclusion
Power and influence are defined here using a combination of both the determinants of the excision of power, as well as the recipients’ response (Tedeschi, 64). In a social construct, power describes the situation where one can force their will despite opposition from others. The idea of some people having power over others brigs about social stratification (Lenski, 1). Selected examples of social stratification have been discussed, including the impact of social media on women, as well as politics.
A powerful political figure of the 20th century, Adolf Hitler, is a classic example of how powerful individuals can exert their policies that end up setting the course of nations for years. His powerful policies brought about the Second World War and the genocide whose aim was to eliminate the Jewish community. The genocide resulted in many deaths since mass executions took place in extermination camps set by Hitler. Social media has an influence on women based on the study that was conducted by Florida State University. The study demonstrated that women experience body dissatisfaction since Facebook creates a platform disordered behaviors and thoughts succeed.
Work cited
Frumin, Aliyah. “Money Has Too Much of an Influence in Politics, Americans Say.” MSNBC. NBCUniversal News Group, 2015. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
Haugen, Brenda. Adolf Hitler: Dictator of Nazi Germany. Capstone, 2006.
Lenski, Gerhard E. Power and privilege: A theory of social stratification. UNC Press Books, 2013.
Nelson, Sophia A. “How Are You Teaching People to Treat You? 5 Steps to Help You Get It Right.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
Tedeschi, James T. Social power and political influence. Transaction Publishers, 2008.
Weiner, Jess. “Impact of Social Media on Body Image – Dove Self-Esteem.” Doveselfesteem. N.p., 27 June 2014. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.