Difference and Dominance?

Would you be able to give more detail as to the context, environment and premise you are working off?

Welcome to Fluther

Thanks! Well I was trying to base it off of stereotypes in media, like in Glee, where a jock is ‘stupid’ and a cheerleader is ‘mean’ sort of thing.

So you are working on how to deconstruct stereotypes? How does dominance fit into this?

That’s where I’m having the problems. My lecturers only touched on racial dominance, but I don’t want to do that since everyone else will use that example.

It is a difficult question. I can only throw around some ideas? Perhaps taking cheerleaders as an example. They form a group, they are within that group accepted. To outsiders there is a type of elite status ascribed to them. Groups by an large dominate, simply by belonging to a group. Plus by the value given to the group by outsiders. The value in this is debatable. True courage is to stand alone and fight a cause, and lead others to fight a cause. So leadership and creating stronger groups with better causes reflect true dominance. That might be a good point?

Yes! That’s great. Thank-you so much. It can probably also be said that within these ‘dominant’ groups, there are struggles for indivdual dominace do you think?

I would say so, as there is micro group dynamics and macro group dynamics.

Dominace is probably more leadership and willing to take control of a situation.

Hmm. I might get the kids into two groups. I’d tell each group their task was to choose a goal and plan the steps needed to achieve that goal, and then take those steps. Whichever group did better, would not have to do homework that night.

Then, I’d ask them who was the leader of each group? How did that person become the leader? Was everybody working together or were there people who were outsiders? How did they become outsiders?

Of course, this is probably a little much for kids, but I’d try it anyway, to see how they think and what they get out of it. Facilitated properly, the kids might do surprisingly well. I bet they’d learn far more than they could from any lecture.

They would be very confused at the start. What task should they choose? That will take most of the time. Let them know there is a time limit. Keep reminding them. They must choose a task in fifteen minutes. In the end, someone will dominate the group and choose for them and people will go along because they just want to get it done.

But how does a leader emerge? That is the interesting thing you’ll want them to look at and figure out. Was it fair? Was it democratic? How did it happen? Was there any resistance? Who was against the idea?

Fascinating. Sounds like so much fun, I want to do it!

I go with personality theory to a large degree. People are born with certain dominant vs. passive traits. Alpha types will naturally be inclined to leadership skills and assertiveness and the omega, beta and gamma types will lean towards passive following over leadership. The same holds true in various animal societies as well. I think inherent temperament is the first factor to consider, the rest branches out from there.

The Alpha of any species will be the dominant leader in all social interaction and development of heirarchy within the group.