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– Part 4: Dominant Group | The Inclusion Solution

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What’s In A Word? – Part 4:

BLACK
Dominant Group FATIGUE:
HOW
Posted by Mary-Frances Winters | Apr 23, 2015 | RACISM
Features, Recent Posts, What's In A Word | 1  ERODES
THE MIND,
BODY, AND
SPIRIT

 Post Views: 20,968

INCLUSIVE
CONVERSAT
IONS:
The classic sociological definition of dominant FOSTERING
EQUITY,
group is a group with power, privileges, and social EMPATHY
status. Another related definition is a social group AND
BELONGING
that controls the value system and rewards in a ACROSS
particular society. The dominant group is often in DIFFERENCE
the majority but not necessarily. If we assume for a
S

moment that the dominant group in Western Culture
is white, heterosexual men, they are not in the
majority. Women represent more than half of the
population. If we expand to the world, about 75

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9/19/22, 12:44 AM What’s In A Word? – Part 4: Dominant Group | The Inclusion Solution

percent of the population is not white, but I would

submit that whites constitute the dominant group.

So dominance equates to power and the opposite

of dominant group is non-dominant group which by
definition would equate to lack of power and control. WE CAN’T
TALK ABOUT
THAT AT
The issue for me with this term is that while I WORK!
absolutely believe that “domination” is a real
phenomena in our society, we have yet to really
unpack the complexities and the continued use of
the term is not necessarily helping us to progress to
an inclusive world. The “us and them” or “haves”
and “have nots” thinking is too simplistic and keeps
us polarized. You have power and I don’t. I have
privilege and you don’t. It is not so simple. I may
have privilege in some areas (earned or unearned)
SHOP LIVE
and not in others. The other issue is that often the INCLUSIVEL
dominant group does not even recognize their Y®
power and privilege.

“Overall, it appears that because of the

dominance of the early Western Europeans

to this country and the continued dominance

of later generations of whites in the U.S.,

white Americans have developed an ethno-

racial identity that acts as a constant lifeline
but remains hidden from their view. By not
having to live behind a “veil” of
WATCH OUR
differentness (Du Bois [1903]2011), whites LINKEDIN
LEARNING
do not understand how the consequences of
COURSES
this identity benefit them and harm others.”

If this is true, then the very term dominant group


has no meaning to the group that defines the term.
Even if we could make everyone in the dominant
group aware of their dominance, what would we

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9/19/22, 12:44 AM What’s In A Word? – Part 4: Dominant Group | The Inclusion Solution

have them do about it? I would love to hear your

thoughts.

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Mary-Frances Winters
Mary-Frances Winters, president and
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1 Comment

hayward bell on May 5, 2015 at 3:11 pm

As you suggest most people have dominant group
priviledge. With education, examples and experiences
you can help people see their dominance and consider
the impact on others. The point is not to attempt to
change the reality of dominant and subordiante
membership but to change the behaviors. For example
if I am aware of my dominance I can work to
demonstrate empathy, liisten to understand, and be
open to change. When I am suboridate I have

information that can support change and I can give
grace to those not living my experience and help
change to happen. If both people change thier
behaviors progress can be achieved.
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