Abstract:
The central concept of this paper is "relational power" (Warren, 2005)-a notion that draws theoretical sustenance from the closely related notion of social capital. This is part of a paradigmatic shift underway in school reform acknowledging the importance of relationships in school reform.
Relational power refers to the way collaboration and trust are created among constituent groups in schools and their communities. It also has currency when used to refer to resources or capacities for re-dressing inequalities in schooling in terms of who is provided with the resources necessary to succeed at school. Relational power constitutes the "set of resources that inhere in relationships of trust and cooperation between and among people" (Warren, 2005, p. 136), and it can be a potent resource for "transforming the internal capacity of schools" (Medirratta, 2004, p. 16).
When relationships between students, teachers, parents and the community are damaged, corrupted, corroded or not established, then students suffer. The most significant power inequality in schools is the opportunity for students to have a say in their learning. Students may nevertheless have more relational power than we give them credit for in accepting or rejecting the conditions under which they learn.
Relational power refers to the way collaboration and trust are created among constituent groups in schools and their communities. It also has currency when used to refer to resources or capacities for re-dressing inequalities in schooling in terms of who is provided with the resources necessary to succeed at school. Relational power constitutes the "set of resources that inhere in relationships of trust and cooperation between and among people" (Warren, 2005, p. 136), and it can be a potent resource for "transforming the internal capacity of schools" (Medirratta, 2004, p. 16).
When relationships between students, teachers, parents and the community are damaged, corrupted, corroded or not established, then students suffer. The most significant power inequality in schools is the opportunity for students to have a say in their learning. Students may nevertheless have more relational power than we give them credit for in accepting or rejecting the conditions under which they learn.