Running Head: Dominant and Subordinate Analysis Paper

Dominant and Subordinate Group Analysis Valencia Dennis Georgia State University: Communication/Cultural Diversity

Dominant and Subordinate Analysis Paper

Abstract n t!is paper "ill associate my strengt!s and "ea#nesses according to t!e dominant and subordinate groups belong to$ %o understand "!ere am going& must understand "!ere came 'rom& "!o am& and "!at my belie's are$ (y social groups "ill be outlined in t!is e)planation according to t!e rubric provided by my pro'essor$ (y re'lections on t!e reasons "!y 'eel am apart o' t!e dominant and subordinate groups "ill be discussed as "ell$

*ey "ords: dominant& subordinate& re'lections& and e)planiations$

Dominant and Subordinate Analysis Paper

%!e "orld is composed o' people "!o are subordinate and t!ose "!o are dominant$ Subordinate people are considered in'erior or secondary to t!ose in dominant positions$ Dominant people !ave control and in'luence over t!e subordinate groups$ %!e de'initions and determinations o' "!o 'its in t!ese categories vary 'rom 'inancial standings& to race and religion in addition to ot!er group associations$ !ave 'ound as an A'rican American "oman t!at in most cases am subordinate$ n t!is paper "ill s!are my personal a''iliations "it! eac! group and t!e reasons 'eel am associated "it! t!e group$ 'eel t!at being a lesbian& poor& and A'rican American place me in t!ree o' t!e most signi'icant subordinate groups in society$ am a C!ristian& a "oman& and abled body person& "!ic! are t!e dominant groups am associated "it!$ Subordinate Groups ,eing a lesbian !ave to cope "it! t!e assumptions and stereotypes associated "it! my se)ual orientation$ %!e -G,% communities a #no"n targeted group. e)periences !ate crimes& discrimination& and isolation by society$ %!e !eterose)ual communities remain dominant over t!e -G,% community$ Here# /+0001 stated t!at 2t!e attitudes to"ards gays and lesbians are t!e strongest pre3udice in t!e United States4 re'erring to our be!avior as 2"rong and un natural4 /p$+01$ %!ey !ave s!unned us 'rom t!eir "orld and claimed "e are not normal because o' our se)uality$ 5nce a day& am stared do"n by some strange person& creating a 'eeling o' discom'ort$ 6ust because am a lesbian am not attracted to or neit!er am se)ually interested in every 'emale t!at encounter$ !ave e)perienced verbal abuse 'rom t!e !eterose)ual community "!o !as more rig!ts and is dominant over t!e -G,% community$ %!is is a ma3or assumption by some !eterose)ual "omen t!at !ave encountered$ t!in# t!at t!ese type o' assumptions made by t!e !eterose)ual community 'uel t!eir ignorance& discom'ort& and !atred to"ards t!e -G,%$ 7or generations my 'amily !as been poor& my great great grandmot!er "as 8ative American and s!e pic#ed cotton$ 8o one in my 'amily received education past !ig! sc!ool "!ic! limited t!eir pay grade and economic status$ gre" up in "!at "as and still is considered t!e !ood& on t!e "est side o' Atlanta$ Currently& live in t!e suburbs "it! my partner "it! a combined income o' 9:0&000 a year& "!ic! is still belo" t!e poverty line$ am digging mysel' out o' generations o' poverty controlled by t!e a''luent community o' "!ic! my 'amily and mysel' !as been 'orced to submit to in order to survive$ %!e ric! remain dominant over t!e poor& investing t!eir money& ma#ing pro'its& and controlling t!e economy$ %!e poor !ave no money to invest& no savings& and no !ope o' overcoming t!eir 'inancial status$ am apart o' t!e "or#ing poor class and 'eel over"!elmed "it! t!e responsibility to !ave a better li'e$

Dominant and Subordinate Analysis Paper

am ,lac#& not because o' t!e color o' my s#in& but because o' t!e lineage o' A'rican descendants in my 'amily and t!e amount o' melanin in my s#in t!at determines s#in pigmentation$ ,lac#s "ere 'orced to used separate entrances and sit at t!e bac# o' t!e bus$ Racism still t!rives in t!is country$ e)perienced racism 'irst !and$ 5ne nig!t "as "al#ing do"n a country road in Selma& A- "it! some classmates$ <e "ere volunteers 'or t!e +=st century yout! leaders!ip group on our "ay to prepare 'or t!e arrival o' our students t!e ne)t morning$ Some "!ite guys drove past us screaming 2go !ome niggas4 and c!un#ing 'ull beer bottles at us$ %!is !appened several times& "e "ere scared 'or our lives and !id covered in a ditc! until t!e police arrived$ A "!ite cop as#ed us 'or our identi'ication& ran our names c!ec#ing 'or "arrants& and patroni>ed us as i' "e "ere "rong$ Dominant Groups Gro"ing up ,aptist& a c!urc! t!at derived 'rom t!e protestant c!urc! "!ic! separated 'rom Cat!olic& consider mysel' to be apart o' t!is group is dominant in numbers according to poll completed by 8e"port /+0==1$ C!ristianity !as set t!e standards 'or morals and la"s o' commandments by "!ic! people s!ould govern t!emselves$ ,eing apart o' t!e c!urc! gives me a sense o' belonging and association$ 'eel empo"ered and a spiritual trans'ormation t!roug! C!ristianity$ ,eing apart o' t!e c!urc! ma#es me 'eel dominant and no longer oppressed 'rom t!e in3ustices o' t!e "orld$ am able to 'ind relie' and support t!roug! my a''iliation "it! t!e c!urc!$ %!e subordinate groups to C!ristians are ot!er religions suc! as 6udaism& slam& and ,udd!ist& and at!eists$ ,eing born A'rican American 'emale associated me "it! my 'irst dominant group as a "oman$ 7or centuries blac# "omen !ave been dominant over blac# men$ As blac# "omen& gained employment over or male counterparts in addition to many ot!er vital opportunities t!at "as needed to be success'ul suc! as access to education$ <omen !old t!e #ey to li'e in t!eir "ombs$ %o be a "oman ma#es me 'eel dominant over men$ As a "oman& 'eel t!at !ave po"er "it! t!e c!oice to procreate or not$ 5n my 3ob started out as an intern and "it! in a "ee# "as promoted to supervisor over my male counter parts$ %!is "as e)ample o' t!e dominant group o' "omen t!at became apart o' in t!e business "orld$ %!ese t"o areas o' dominance as a 'emale ma#e me 'eel superior$ do not !ave any p!ysical or mental disabilities t!is ma#es me dominant over t!ose t!at do !ave disabilities$ am considered and even given 3obs over someone "!o may even be more ?uali'ied educational "ise& but is disabled$ %!is is somet!ing t!at am not proud o' and it ma#es me sad$ America !as isolated disabled people since t!e early =@00As& placing t!em in alms!ouses& declaring t!em incapable o' "or#ing and providing 'or t!emselves& t!eir privileges revo#ed$ 5nly people "it! sound minds and bodies could "or# and !ave a normal li'e$ %!is !as carried over to t!e +=st century "it! convalescent !omes$ As an able bodied person !ave to 'ace t!e 'act t!at !ave more privileges to c!oose employment "!ic! creates dominance over people "it! disabilities$

Dominant and Subordinate Analysis Paper

n conclusion& "riting t!is paper !as made me reali>e t!at !ave more dominant ?ualities$ "as 'orced to see mysel' as privileged as an able bodied person& even t!oug! at times as a poor blac# lesbian "as o'ten denied access to e?ual opportunities and 'air treatment$ !ave learned t!at my a''iliation "it! t!e subordinate groups doesnAt mean t!at !ave to remain oppressed$ "ill use "!at !ave learned about mysel' in t!is paper and t!roug! out my education and training to prepare me 'or t!e clients "ill be "or#ing "it!$ %!is paper !as !elped me to identi'y my strengt!s and my "ea#nesses t!roug! dominant and subordinate groups$

Dominant and Subordinate Analysis Paper

Re'erences Here#& G$ ($ /+0001$ %!e Psyc!ology o' Se)ual Pre3udice$ Current Directions In Psychological Science (Wiley-Blackwell), 9/=1& =CD++$ 8e"port& 7$ /+0==1$ C!ristianity Remains Dominant Religion in t!e United States$ Gallop Poll Brie ing, =$