Political Power and Its Representation

Abstract

Understanding the concept of representation as a key factor involved in the process of meaning production in a society, can help us answer the following questions: what does the concept of representation mean in the context of constituting and producing political power, what does the process of representation entail, and how does it function? Our focus will be on the idea that political power is produced through regimes of verbal and visual representation that actively shape our perception of reality, including existing social norms and values. Representation is not only the result of certain social tendencies and changes, but also their instigator. The status of a ruler is determined not only based on their historical or social relevance, but also on how they are represented. In shaping the perception of a ruler as a legitimate holder of power, representation often plays a more dominant role than the subject itself. We will treat the concepts of power and representation as interdependent and interconnected variables. We will pay attention to how their reciprocal subordination produces two effects: the institution of power appropriates representation as something inherently its own, and representation is actually what transfers its power onto it.