Doc, thanks for the post. Among other things, you wrote:
>Empowering still means "giving power," regardless of what we
>would like it to mean.
I looked empower up in a couple of dictionaries. The Oxford Dictionary of
Current English (1984) defines empower as "give power or authority".
However, looking at an older dictionary, The Winston Dictionary (1945)
defines empower as (i) to give authority to; authorize, as by law; and
(ii) to enable.
I know that dictionary definitions alone do not restrict common
understanding of words and language. Language is constantly evolving,
sometimes with words being far removed from their origins. Still, in this
context I think that "to enable" (to make possible) is a reasonable use of
the word empower, and would include, I believe, the concept of growing
power.
It is in this light that I would use empower. As others have written, the
notion of empower that encompasses "giving authority" may better be
described as distribution of authority.
Still learning,
Les
"the greatest obstacle to discovering the truth is believing that you
already know it"
--"Leslie Lax" <leslax@cnx.net>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>