Answer:
Power can be defined as the ability to influence or control others, resources, or events. It arises from the material, cultural, and social conditions that exist in a given society. Material conditions refer to the tangible resources that people possess, such as wealth, property, and technology. Cultural conditions refer to the shared beliefs, values, and practices of a society, while social conditions refer to the relationships and hierarchies that exist between different groups of people.
Forms of power that contravene these traditional positions can arise when individuals or groups challenge the existing power structures and seek to create a new order. These contravening forms of power can be accessed or created through various means, including resistance movements, social activism, and political organizing.
One example of a story that illustrates these ideas is the novel "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood. In this dystopian novel, a totalitarian regime has taken over the United States, and women have been stripped of their rights and reduced to reproductive vessels. The regime wields power through a combination of material, cultural, and social conditions. They control the population through a strict hierarchy, with the ruling class at the top and the women at the bottom.
However, the novel also portrays contravening forms of power, such as resistance movements and acts of defiance. The main character, Offred, engages in small acts of rebellion, such as secretly reading forbidden books and forming relationships with other women. She also becomes involved in a larger resistance movement, where she works to undermine the regime and fight for her freedom.
Through this story, we can see that power is not simply a fixed and unchanging concept. It is shaped by the material, cultural, and social conditions that exist in a given society, and can be challenged and transformed by those who seek to create a new order. By accessing and creating contravening forms of power, individuals and groups can challenge existing power structures and work towards a more just and equitable society.