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[Note: All are presented anonymously, but with permission of their authors. None is
perfect, but all exemplify what we are looking for. Be aware that some citations are
based upon different editions or versions of the readings. Finally, it is definitely not
expected or recommended that anyone will borrow or copy these efforts but, rather,
that they will be read solely as examples of ways that others have articulated thesis
statements in the past.]
Example 1
The concept of othering is a contemporary term that has arisen from
studies delving into the history of women. It is explained as a power struggle
between various groups, where a certain group utilizes their differences to
dominate another. While othering takes place in a variety of contexts, Lerner
talks specifically about othering through gender differences. (Lerner pg. 134). A
class of men dominate resources and allocate them as they wish (Lerner pg.
134) thus causing a power relationship that continually favors the dominant male
group. Although many early feminists insisted gender [was] the primary source
of oppression (Hewitt pg. 299), it is not the only form of oppression women
faced. Women faced constant othering by each other as well. As Hewitt points
out there is no sisterhood that unites all women. Being female is just one
characteristic that makes up a woman. Class and race are just some of the
characteristics that play a large role in a womans identity. Many women feel
more connected with their male counterparts rather than other women from
different races and classes (Hewitt pg. 304). These differences inherently bring
implications of hierarchy (Kerber & DeHart pg. 5). It translated into a sense of
superiority by more affluent women. Women from different races felt indifferent or
even hostile to one another (Kerber & DeHart pg. 5). All of these feelings ensured
that there was no greater sisterhood that united all women together under the
umbrella of womanhood.
Example 2
The lack of historical documentation of women within the standard maleentrenched history textbook is not only wrong but also severely misleading and
inaccurate. Women in general have had to overcome numerous feats in
American history. However, within the biological context of womanhood, history
shows that there are exclusive hierarchies. The process of othering depends on
the acknowledgment and exploitation of differences between individuals. What is
always accentuated is difference and in response the individual is designated
as inferior (Lerner, 134). What makes the dominance that ensues acceptable is
putting a negative mark on difference (Lerner, 135). These differences can range
from skin color to sex, but always making one person stand out from another
more normal person: historically seen as a normative, white, high standing
male. However, the problem has not always been drawn along the lines of sex.
As Kerber & DeHart, Gerda Lerner, and Nancy Hewitt collectively illustrate,
othering is not exclusive to man-woman relationships or even black-white
relationships, but they also occur within the female realm as a whole. These