disempowering

English

Adjective

disempowering (comparative more disempowering, superlative most disempowering)

1. Causing a loss of power or agency; debilitating.
   • 2009, Michael O'Loughlin, The Subject of Childhood, page 225:

     On the contrary, Bernstein argues, by presenting a benevolent face to students while failing to change the underlying rules of pedagogic discourse, progressive pedagogies may be potentially more disempowering for students because they mask the workings of oppression and hence make it harder for students to name and usurp it.

   • 2009, Christopher J. Keller, ‎Andrew Shutes-David, Remembering the Future:

     Usually the story that they want is about this privileged group of people who have moved into a poor neighborhood and are doing all this great work for the neighborhood. And that can be very disempowering to our neighbors who have lived and survived and who are caring for each other.

   • 2024, Sonya Faber, ‎Monnica T. Williams, ‎Matthew D. Skinta, Power, Discrimination, and Privilege in Individuals and Institutions, page 126:

     In other words, the more disempowering an interpersonal context is (i.e., the fewer degrees of freedom available there), the more likely invitations for vulnerability will function aversively, evoking more vulnerability or less, depending on which has historically allowed them to minimize contact with the aversive in similar contexts.

2. Demoralizing.
   • 2013, Lani Russell, Sociology for Health Professionals, page 82:

     Losing the ability to work was very disempowering.

   • 2013, Eleni Contzonis, Light My Candle: The Flame Within:

     Pain becomes a constant companion when we live in this low level of vibration as we create more and more disempowering stories.

   • 2024, Louise Davis, ‎Richard Keegan, ‎Sophia Jowett, Social Psychology in Sport:

     When athletes perceived the motivational climate to be more disempowering, they were more likely to report controlled motives for their personal goal pursuit.

Derived terms

• disempoweringly

Verb

disempowering

1. present participle and gerund of disempower