Bending Before Power: A Review on Power Relations, Ethical Dilemmas, and the Culture of Silence in Academia

Abstract

Although academic institutions are traditionally regarded as spaces where knowledge is freely produced and critical thinking is nurtured, they are not immune to the influence of power, authority, and hierarchy. These dynamics shape institutional culture and individual behaviors, exerting a profound impact on the ethical climate. Within academia, job insecurity, publication pressure, and intense competition often compel individuals to remain silent or conform to authority. This tendency represents not only a personal coping mechanism but also a reflection of organizational silence and a culture of fear. This review explores how power dynamics are formed within academic settings, how individuals respond to these structures, and the roles of phenomena such as mobbing, exclusion, and ethical dilemmas in these processes. The misuse of power and its consequences for institutional justice, meritocracy, and ethical values are examined from sociological and psychological perspectives. The article concludes that power relations in academia affect not only individual behavior but also the overall ethical climate, scientific productivity, and institutional sustainability.

Keywords

• Academia
• Ethical Climate
• Mobbing
• Organizational Silence
• Power Relations

Supporting Institution

no

Ethical Statement

no

Thanks

no

Gücün Karşısında Eğilip Bükülenler: Akademide Güç İlişkileri, Etik İkilemler ve Sessizlik Kültürü Üzerine Bir Derleme

Abstract

Akademik kurumlar, bilginin özgürce üretildiği ve eleştirel düşüncenin beslendiği alanlar olarak kabul edilse de güç, otorite ve hiyerarşi ilişkilerinden tamamen bağımsız değildir. Bu ilişkiler, zamanla kurum kültürünü ve bireysel davranış biçimlerini şekillendirerek etik iklim üzerinde belirleyici bir etki yaratır. Akademide kadro güvencesizliği, yayın baskısı ve rekabetin yoğunluğu, bireyleri çoğu zaman güç karşısında sessiz kalmaya veya uyum göstermeye yönlendirir. Bu durum, yalnızca bireysel bir savunma mekanizması değil, aynı zamanda örgütsel sessizlik ve korku kültürünün bir yansımasıdır. Derleme kapsamında, akademik yapılarda güç dinamiklerinin nasıl oluştuğu, bireylerin bu dinamiklere nasıl tepki verdiği ve mobbing, dışlanma ya da etik ikilemler gibi olguların bu süreçteki rolü tartışılmaktadır. Gücün yanlış kullanımının kurumsal adalet, liyakat ve etik değerlere olan etkisi sosyolojik ve psikolojik açıdan ele alınmıştır. Makale, akademideki güç ilişkilerinin sadece bireysel davranışları değil, bilimsel üretkenliği ve kurumsal sürdürülebilirliği de derinden etkilediğini ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

• Akademi
• Etik İklim
• Güç İlişkileri
• Mobing
• Örgütsel Sessizlik

Supporting Institution

yok

Ethical Statement

yok

Thanks

yok

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