There are different types of power in a family that is used.
There are also different ways power is divided among a husband and wife. Some extreme cases are abuse, but power does not mean abuse. It depends on how one uses their power. In some families, the father has the most power, and in some the mother does. There are many families where the power is split between the two in different areas. Many women in that situation usually choose to have the power over decisions of the household and children, and the father may have more power over all the other matters. One might prefer having power over the bills, or they might share their power in many areas. When I think of power in the family, I think of who has control over what and who has the final say in it. Every family has their differences in how they divide and use their power, but here are some examples of the types of power parents might use either on each other or their children.
Coercive is usually used in desperation by a parent and is dependent on fear and the parent threaten punishments. Parents that use coercive power usually use that when nothing else seems to work, but many try to avoid it if they can. Another type of power is Reward power. It's when parents will try to get their children to be obedient by offering them some kind of reward for doing what they're told. Legitimate power is more power spouses use on each other rather than on their children. It's when one asks the other to do something that the other has the duty to comply and so they'll do it. Expert power is when one has power over something because they have special expertise or knowledge in that specific area. Referent power is used when the other obeys because they have a desire to please the one using the power on them. The last type of power is Informational which is basically persuasion by spouse that what they want is in your own best interest.
You can probably picture a bunch of scenarios in your head for each type of power and you probably have mixed feelings about the use of each of them, whether you consider them negative or positive. My goal was not to tell you what's good and what's bad with them, but just to point out what the types were.
Power is such an interesting topic as it is so universal. We can witness various aspects of power in nearly every area of our lives. In what ways have you witnessed both positive and negative examples of power? How can we best use power in our lives? President Faust has said, "Power is highly attractive. It can be both good and bad...This hunger for acceptance or power draws them like a moth to a flame." We are taught to be weary of unrighteous power as it will surely lead to our destruction. What is an appropriate amount of power within the family?
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