Running Head: PART A

Individual Cultural Competency Project: Part A Jessica Klinger Georgia State niversity

PART A A"stract

T#is paper e$plores some o% my dominant and su"ordinate group mem"ers#ips& 'irst I discuss my mem"ers#ip (it# t#e dominant race in t#e nited States) *#ite& +eing pper ,iddle Class is t#e ne$t dominant group mem"ers#ip I discuss& T#e last dominant group mem"ers#ip in t#is paper is t#at -nglis# is my 'irst .anguage& /e$t I discuss t#ree o% my su"ordinate group mem"ers#ips& +eing a .es"ian and a mem"er o% t#e .G+T0 is t#e %irst1 %ollo(ed "y my religious a%%iliation) Spiritual1 and t#en my et#nic identity) Je(is# American&

PART A 3ominate and Su"ordinate Group

In t#e (ild t#e lion is dominant to t#e ga4elle& T#e ga4elle can run %ast and ma5e s#arp turns "ut ultimately one day t#e ga4elle (ill "e t#e lion6s dinner& Ho(ever) t#e lion is not al(ays in t#e dominant role& T#e lion is su"ordinate to t#e #unter "ecause #e #as no protection against guns& T#is metap#or demonstrates t#e nature o% dominant and su"ordinate group mem"ers#ips& All people #ave dominant and su"ordinate group mem"ers#ips& T#e %ollo(ing is an e$ploration into some o% mine& 3ominant Group: *#ite Race #as "een a serious issue in t#e nited States o% America in terms o% (#o #as po(er and privilege& I identi%y as *#ite) (#ic# is t#e dominant group in t#is society& +lac5) Asian) .atino) /ative American) and ,ultiracial are all vie(ed as su"ordinate& T#e %irst couple o% places t#at I lived gro(ing up (ere predominately .atino or +lac5& ntil I moved into a predominately *#ite neig#"or#ood and started attending a sc#ool (#ere t#e population (as almost all *#ite) I did not reali4e t#e privilege t#at I got to e$perience just "ecause I (as *#ite& *#en I t#in5 a"out t#is issue I %eel an over(#elming desire to "e apart o% c#anging t#is out o% date notion t#at some people #ave an advantage simply "ecause o% t#eir s5in color& +eing (#ite means t#at I can go any(#ere and do anyt#ing in t#is country unli5e my +lac5) Asian) .atino) /ative American) and ,ultiracial counterparts& T#e *#ite race #olds most o% t#e pu"lic o%%ices in t#is country and until recently (as t#e only race (#o #ad #eld t#e o%%ice o% t#e president& 3ominant Group: pper ,iddle Class T#e gro(ing importance o% socioeconomic class #as created "arriers %or many people& ,y %amily (as not al(ays apart o% t#e upper middle class1 in %act (e started out in t#e (or5ing poor& ,y %at#er (or5ed #is (ay up t#roug# t#e company "eginning at t#e lo(est jo" a person could #ave to one o% t#e #ig#est paid in t#e company& In almost every part o% t#e (orld t#e more money and (ealt# a person #as t#e more opportunities and po(er a person (ill receive& T#e upper middle class #as control o% t#e private sector t#roug# t#e "usinesses t#ey (or5 %or "ut also control t#e pu"lic sector as (ell& T#e statement t#at many people ma5e as a jo5e 7congress is controlled "y ric# protestant (#ite men6 is un%ortunately true& Today elections cost a lot o% money to (in t#roug# various e$penses suc# as signs) sta%%) "uttons) campaign ads) and various ot#er necessities& I% someone does not #ave enoug# %unds to get t#eir name out to t#e pu"lic t#ey simply (ill not (in& Also once t#ese mem"ers o% t#e upper middle class #ave control o% t#ese pu"lic o%%ices) t#ey (rite and pass legislation t#at "ene%its t#eir socioeconomic class& 3ominant Group: -nglis# as 'irst .anguage Since my %irst language is -nglis# and I live in t#e nited States I am apart o% t#e dominant language group in t#e nited States& Immigrants (#o do not spea5 -nglis# as t#eir %irst language are disadvantaged in t#e nited States& A 8uote "y -lise 'rattura and Carol Topin5a e$plains t#is dic#otomy "est (#en discussing t#e -nglis# as a Second .anguage program) 9*e t#en unintentionally teac# all c#ildren t#at typically *#ite students and t#ose o% middle class "elong to t#e normed group and every once in a great (#ile someone out o% poverty

PART A

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and non;*#ite status #as t#e opportunity to "ecome part o% t#e norm<& +eing a mem"er o% any dominant group does ma5e me %eel a sense o% po(er "ut t#ere are ot#er %eelings t#at accompany t#is alluring one& *#en I interact (it# someone (#o is apart o% t#e su"ordinate group I %eel guilty t#at I am a%%orded certain privileges t#at t#ey are not& T#e %eeling t#at #as #ad t#e most in%luence on my reactions to people (#o do not spea5 -nglis# as t#eir %irst language is empat#y& ,y su"ordinate group mem"ers#ips #ave a%%orded me t#e a"ility to try and understand #o( t#is group may %eel& I imagine t#at %eelings o% s#ame and con%usion accompany "eing a su"ordinate group mem"er& T#is dominant group #as po(er over jo"s) s#elter access to #ealt#care) and many ot#er %acets o% American li%e& T#e (ay t#is group 5eeps its6 po(er is t#roug# lac5 o% in%ormation to people in t#eir %irst languages& I% you 5eep someone ignorant t#en it is easy to continue to #ave po(er over t#em& Ideally t#e government s#ould provide %ree -nglis# classes at community centers& T#is program could ultimately improve li%e %or "ot# t#e dominant and su"ordinate groups& T#e classes (ould allo( people (#o participate in our (or5%orce t#e a"ility to understand t#eir jo"s and t#eir "osses to understand t#em& Su"ordinate Group: .es"ian Today t#e .es"ian) +ise$ual) Gay) Transgender) and 0ueer community are "eing oppressed& I identi%y as a .es"ian) (#ic# automatically %or%eits me access to some civil rig#ts suc# as marriage& 'rom t#e time I (as very young I al(ays 5ne( t#at I li5ed (omen "ut "ecause "eing #eterose$ual is t#e dominant group in t#is country and around t#e (orld I soug#t to c#ange mysel%& *#en I learned (#at "eing gay (as I made a conscious decision t#at it did not matter i% I %ell in love "ut t#at I (ould marry a man& I made t#is decision %or a couple o% reasons& I (as raised Sout#ern +aptist and =rt#odo$ Je( and in "ot# religions #omose$uality is loo5ed do(n upon& 'ear (as t#e main motivator t#at (as used in t#e c#urc# I (ent to (#ic# drove me to ma5e suc# a drastic decision& Also in t#e media t#ey portray t#e per%ect %amily as #aving a mom) a dad) and t(o c#ildren& T#is 5ind o% attention made me %eel t#at I (as (rong %or #aving se$ual %eelings to(ards (omen& I #ave since accepted and em"raced (#o I am as a les"ian& T#e %ig#t %or e8uality %or t#e .G+T0 community is currently raging on and #as made great strides especially in t#e past year (it# t#e overturning o% 3=,A "y t#e Supreme Court& ,y #ope is t#at one day t#e gay community (ill #ave all t#e same rig#ts t#at a straig#t person #as in t#e nited States& Su"ordinate Group: Spiritual As I mentioned in t#e previous paragrap# I (as raised Sout#ern +aptist and =rt#odo$ Je(& Currently I (ould identi%y mysel% as not #aving a religious a%%iliation "ut I do identi%y as spiritual& Ho(ever) I still do identi%y my et#nicity as Je(is# American "ecause I still participate in t#e Je(is# culture& C#ristianity is t#e group (it# all o% t#e po(er in t#e nited States& C#ristians set t#e standards %or (#at is appropriate or not "ecause) as I mentioned "e%ore) t#ey #old t#e po(er in our government& I tend to "e loo5ed do(n upon and told t#at I am a sinner "ecause I #ave no religious a%%iliation& Also some people #ave gone as %ar as to try and intimidate me t#roug# #ate%ul emails and p#one calls& Su"ordinate Group: Je(is# American

PART A

I identi%y my et#nicity as Je(is# American& ,any people do not understand #o( "eing Je(is# is a su"ordinate group mem"ers#ip& T#e article -$ploration o% Je(is# -t#nic Identity %urt#ers t#is idea "y stating t#at Je(s are 9simultaneously insiders and outsiders) "ot# victims o% and mem"ers o% a privileged class<& T#e dominant et#nic group is -uropean American) (#ic# can "e con%using %or people "ecause many Je(is# people are -uropean American as (ell& T#e (ay Je(is# Americans are di%%erent is "ecause (e #ave our o(n culture and #ave a lot o% emp#asis put on maintaining t#at culture& T#ere are many stereotypes a"out Je(is# people suc# as "eing called c#eap and #aving "ig noses& I #ave never cared a"out t#e stereotypes until I e$perienced discrimination& Gro(ing up some o% t#e ot#er c#ildren at sc#ool (ould tell me t#at I (as going to Hell "ecause I (as Je(is# or (ould not let me play (it# t#em& .earning more a"out Je(is# culture t#an just t#e Holocaust (ould "e #elp%ul to (ipe out prejudice against Je(is# Americans& -ducation #elps to s#ed lig#t on reality and get rid o% ignorance& Conclusion 3oing t#is assignment s#o(ed me #o( I #ave dominant and su"ordinate group mem"ers#ips co;occuring (it#in me& T#is assignment also #as #elped me to "ecome more a(are o% #o( I interact in society day to day& T#e a(areness o% po(er struggle t#at e$ists in t#e (orld "ecame real %or me (#en I (as in elementary sc#ool& T#e girls t#at lived in my neig#"or#ood (ould pic5 on me and t#is is (#en I gat#ered t#at not everyone is created e8ual& Sometimes I do not (ant t#is a(areness "ecause o% t#e amount o% discrimination t#at I see and %eel day to day& T#is assignment #as lit a %ire (it#in me to %ig#t %or e8ual rig#ts %or all su"ordinate group mem"ers&

PART A Re%erences Altman) A& /&) Inman) A& G&) 'ine) S& G&) Ritter) H& A&) @ Ho(ard) -& -& A2B!BC& -$ploration o% Je(is# -t#nic Identity& Journal Of Counseling & Development) 88A2C) !D:;!E:& 'rattura) -& ,&) @ Topin5a) C& A2BBDC& TH-=R-TICA. /3-RPI//I/GS =' S-PARAT-3 CATI=/A. PR=GRA,S: T#e Social Justice C#allenge Continues& Education & Urban Society) 38A:C) :2E;:>>& doi:!B&!!EEFBB!:!2>?BD2GEB:2