While power is often defined and operationalized as control or influence over others, alternative conceptualizations define power as the ability to meet various fundamental needs. We argue that this conceptualization may better capture how marginalized minority group members understand their group's power or powerlessness. However, there is little research examining how people themselves construe group‐based power. The present study, therefore, used qualitative inquiry to examine perceived ingroup power among Asian Americans, an underrepresented racial minority group with an ambivalent power status in society. Reflexive thematic analysis of 25 interviews illustrated the relevance of Prilleltensky's (J. Community Psychol., 36, 2008, 116) psychopolitical conceptualization of power. Specifically, we identified eight themes that reflect various context‐specific construals of power as oppression, wellness and liberation. Additionally, the findings suggest the need to consider intragroup heterogeneity in power and to situate how power is understood in the given sociopolitical, structural context.

中文翻译：

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基于社会地位需求的不同权力认知：一项针对亚裔美国人的定性研究结果


虽然权力通常被定义为控制或影响他人并实施，但其他概念将权力定义为满足各种基本需求的能力。我们认为，这种概念化可能更好地捕捉到边缘化的少数群体成员如何理解他们群体的权力或无权。然而，很少有研究考察人们自己如何解释基于群体的权力。因此，本研究使用定性调查来检查亚裔美国人对内部群体权力的感知，亚裔美国人是一个代表性不足的少数种族群体，在社会中具有矛盾的权力地位。对 25 次访谈的反思性主题分析说明了 Prilleltensky （J. Community Psychol.， 36， 2008， 116） 对权力的心理政治概念的相关性。具体来说，我们确定了八个主题，这些主题反映了各种特定背景的权力解释，如压迫、健康和解放。此外，研究结果表明需要考虑群体内权力的异质性，并在给定的社会政治、结构背景下如何理解权力。