Dominant and Subordinate Groups

Thuy McRae
Georgia State University

In society we often associate people with groups. Judging by your race, gender, class, and
ability/disability can be categorized in groups of dominant and subordinate. There are countless
characteristics of power and privilege we hold that can put you in both groups. Meanwhile
people with multiple subordinate group identities usually experience less discrimination than
people with single subordinate groups. The more devalued identities a person has, the more
cumulative discrimination he or she faces (Almquist 1975; Epstein1973).

Subordinate group
The first subordinate group that identify with is being a woman of color. Usually women of color
experience oppression from men in the dominate group. As a women of color it is a stigma that
we are the target of abusing welfare system due to fatherless homes. It is assumed that women of
color are single mothers with multiple children. However these conditions sometime lead the
children to astray away from the homes and to the walls of the judicial system.
However, I feel powerless financially not always able to provide the basic needs of my home.
Not being not able to provide properly for my family as a single mother makes me think how my
children really views me as a parent not able to provide and continuously telling them no to
many of the things they ask for.

Dominant group
I can identify as a dominant woman in the work place. I have coworkers that look up to me as an
influence. My coworkers are in the subordinate. Im highly fluent in my job and the skills
acquired from experience. My boss also agree.
In addition to my job at an advantage in my relationship. I am privilege in ways that I never been
married and I dont have the excessive calling from bill collectives and garnishments.
Lastly Im the first to go to college in my family. Being the first to go to college my mother
constantly tells me how proud she is of me. Being a single working mother of color in school it
all encompass my strength to excel. I have learned a lot about myself over the years I have tried

to not remember they are more so suppressed issues of my childhood as I dont really remember
much. The more classes I take Im beginning to understand my culture, people and my pass
struggles a little better. I am becoming culturally proficient and aware of my issues surrounding
my structural status and becoming more competent in ideological beliefs.

References
Veenstra, G. (2013). The Gendered Nature of Discriminatory Experiences by Race, Class, and Sexuality: A Comparison of
Intersectionality Theory and the Subordinate Male Target Hypothesis. Sex Roles, 68(11/12), 646-659
Culturally competence parxtice (Lum) 4th edition