Acceso usuarios
Jeanne Becquart-Leclercq
THE RELATIONAL NETWORK AND RELATIONAL POWER, by JEANNE BECQUART-LECLERCQ Getting somebody to intervene or obtaining a recommendation thanks to a well-placed contact is a widespread strategy in France, which is effective and indeed necessary for the peripheral actor who is seeking to regain a little power in a centralized system. A theoretical analysis of the relational network concept is designed to throw some light on this mecanism, which is obscure because it has been the subject of very little research, and considers it from a conflictual standpoint rather than as a means of controlling the system. It is a strategic, dyadic, inter-personal and face-to-face, and asymmetric relationship which is more in the nature of a gift than an exchange. The relational network rests on anchor points which allow the levers of power to be manipulated thanks to the relational ambiguity of the actors — a relational capital which seems to combine with other social assers and to favour the fortunate. The relational network gives those who possess it the opportunity to escape from impersonal and bureaucratie rules, the pleasure of rendering services and of personalising an often anonymous action, and secures the symbolic allegiance which gives legitimacy. [Revue française de science politique (1), février 1979, pp. 102-128.]
RÉSEAU RELATIONNEL, POUVOIR RELATIONNEL, par JEANNE BECQUART-LECLERCQ Obtenir une intervention, bénéficier d'une recommandation grâce à une relation bien placée, voilà une stratégie répandue en France, efficace voire nécessaire pour l'acteur périphérique qui vise à se réapproprier un peu de pouvoir dans un système centralisé. Une analyse théorique du concept du réseau relationnel, propose d'éclairer ce mécanisme obscur, car peu étudié, et l'envisage dans une optique conflictuelle plutôt que comme régulation du système. Il s'agit d'une relation stratégique, dyadique, interpersonnelle et face à face, asymétrique, relevant plus du don que de l'échange. Le réseau relationnel repose sur des bases d'ancrage qui permettent de manipuler des leviers de pouvoir, grâce à l'ambiguïté relationnelle des acteurs, capital relationnel qui semble se cumuler avec d'autres atouts sociaux et favoriser les favoris. Le réseau relationnel donne à celui qui en bénéficie la possibilité d'échapper aux règles impersonnelles et bureaucratiques, la jouissance du plaisir d'obliger et de personnaliser une action souvent anonyme, et procure l'allégeance symbolique qui produit la légitimité. [Revue française de science politique XXIX (1), février 1979, pp. 102-128.] THE RELATIONAL NETWORK AND RELATIONAL POWER JEANNE BECQUART-LECLERCQ Getting somebody to intervene or obtaining recommendation thanks to well-placed contact is widespread strategy in France which is effective and indeed necessary for the peripheral actor who is seeking to regain little power in centralized system theoretical analysis of the relational network concept is designed to throw some light on this mecanism which is obscure because it has been the subject of very little research and considers it from conflictual standpoint rather than as means of controlling the system It is strategic dyadic inter-personal and face-to-face and asymmetric rela tionship which is more in the nature of gift than an exchange The relational network rests on anchor points which allow the levers of power to be manipulated thanks to the relational ambiguity of the actors relational capital which seems to combine with other social assets and to favour the fortunate The relational network gives those who possess it the opportunity to escape from impersonal and bureaucratic rules the pleasure of rendering services and of personalising an often anonymous action and secures the symbolic allegiance which gives legitimacy Revue fran aise de science politique I) février 1979 pp 102-128.
