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Craig White's Literature Courses Critical Sources Ethnic & Gender as Minorities? |
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Table of ethnic dominant-minority characteristics.
|
|
Dominant culture |
Minority culture |
| Race / ethnicity |
White, Anglo, "Northern" |
Af Am, Mex Am, Native Am |
| Choice |
Voluntary, "immigrant culture,"
"American Dream" |
Involuntary or forced contact, "American
Nightmare"
|
| Voice? |
Dominant voice, owns media |
repressed or coded language (sometimes establishes
identity); double language; using dom. culture's language against them |
|
Subject-object
(philosophical and syntactic identity,
power relations) |
Subject:
decides, speaks, “acts” for itself |
Object:
decisions are made for object, object is “acted upon,” |
Table of gender (heterosexual) dominant-minority characteristics.
|
|
Dominant culture | Minority culture |
|
Heterosexual gender |
Male |
Female |
|
Choice (coming to
America, joining mobile American culture) |
The frontier, where a man can be a man; opportunity |
Leaving family relations, "whither thou goest"; less enthusiastic? |
|
Choice (self-determination) |
Patriarchy sets values,
esp. individualism over community; Abortion: "It's a child, not a choice" |
Alternative values?
"Relationality?"
|
| Voice |
Listen to your
father; man leads prayer; scripture/word of God as male production |
Less direct; double language
(“Yes, dear”), codes |
|
Subject-object
(philosophical and syntactic identity,
power relations) |
Example of rape: dominant gender as
subject exercises voice, choice |
Example of rape: minority gender as object
is denied choice or voice |
Table of gender (homosexual) dominant-minority characteristics.
|
|
Dominant culture | Minority culture |
| Homosexual gender |
Straight; economically (re)productive |
Gay / Lesbian; cannot reproduce, therefore
"unnatural" and economically non-productive? |
| Choice in being gay |
Religious Right: "It's a lifestyle
choice"; therefore marginalize & silence gays as sinful,
"unnatural" |
Research: genetically programmed? (i. e.,
no choice) Plus or minus environment— Alternative: respectful choice |
| Voice |
"I don't want to hear about it";
"Don't ask, don't tell"; "The love that dare not speak its
name." + Don't teach! (Fear of modeling,
normalization) |
Coded language and signs (earrings, etc.) (Direct speech can get you killed) >(more recently) out of closet Gay Pride "Act up"; "Screamers";
“Tongues Untied” |
|
Subject-object
(philosophical and syntactic identity,
power relations) |
strange reversal of military fears: "don't want someone looking at me in the showers" |
> objectification |
Same-sex male relationships appear to offend religious right more than same-sex female relationships. Why?
Women since way back have often set up housekeeping together, with outsiders assuming need-based rather than sex-based.
But doesn't explain deep offense at males
Dr. White's theological explanation:
Western monotheism: God is traditionally depicted as male (Yahweh as desert warrior god); Jesus Christ as son of God.
Therefore divine form is male form, not to be violated?
cf. white conservative males' sensitivity over "groping" by airport security
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