The society creates and enhances social identities that differentiate a specific group of people from others, which often promotes inequality and discrimination. The main challenge in every society is that it becomes hard to determine the value that every person has considering that his or her position is defined based on socially constructed ideas. These differences exist based on an individual’s gender, race, sexuality, ability, and class, among others. The differences play an integral role in distinguishing the superior groups from the inferior groups in the society (Prior & Jones, 2018). For example, the United States prioritizes whiteness over any other racial characteristics due to the consideration that whites are much more dominant based on certain views. The occurrence of social changes have impacted on the socially constructed meanings that are promoted by the identities created in different societies around the world. The paper will explore the concepts of normative groups, groups of difference, identity threats, and intersectionality.
Normative Group
A normative group can be defined as a dominant group in every social setting (Wagoner & Hogg, 2016). It embodies different characteristics that define the aspect of dominance in a social group. Social dominance exists across the world resulting from identities inequalities created for different people or groups and aids in the creation of an acceptable status quo. Every society uses different value systems to determine social dominance; hence, creating a normative group. The characteristics of people in the group help to define their ability to be part of the dominant category of people.
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Normative groups may exist in different forms depending on the social identities that societies use as a determinant of whether one is part of the dominant group and category. Some of the examples of normative groups include white people, able-bodied individuals, and persons belonging to the middle- or upper-class. What is most notable about these examples is the fact that they represent a sense of dominance in their respective social identities (Wagoner & Hogg, 2016). Additionally, they also reflect on the fact that persons belonging to these groups have a greater advantage in their respective social settings when compared to those outside the groups.
Being part of a normative groups means that one is likely to lead a life that represents a sense of advantage on different aspects that differentiate between persons in a social setting. For example, a white person is twice as likely to be employed in a white-collar position when compared to an African American or Hispanic, which serves as a clear indication of the privilege associated with belonging to this normative group. Belonging to the normative group also means that individuals are far less likely to experience hardships considering that they will use their dominance as a key factor pushing them towards success, which results from an uneven platform.
Belonging to one or more normative groups, which is often referred to as intersectionality, impacts a person’s perspective because it affects his/her view about the life one leads (Wagoner & Hogg, 2016). For example, an able-bodied individual in the middle class may not understand the struggles or challenges that persons with disabilities or those in the lower class have as part of their everyday lives. The challenge is that one’s identification with one or more normative groups creates a biased view or perspective about life that fails to consider the overall implications of promoting dominance.
On the other hand, persons belonging to one or more normative groups often have a much smoother interaction with the criminal justice system, which often favors them over those from other groups. In the United States, African Americans are much more likely to be arrested when compared to whites, which highlights the existing disparity in criminal justice. Overall, persons from normative groups often have positive life experiences defined by the dominance they experience over others. Wagoner & Hogg (2016) mention that most of these people use their dominance to enhance their ability to engage in a different aspect of life with more ease compared to other people who may face different challenges.
Privilege
Privilege can be defined as unearned advantage that persons experience in different social settings defined by them belonging to dominant social groups. Gitterman (2019) notes that the society has normalized privilege to an extent where persons who experience privilege often believe that it is an earned advantage. Privilege is often defined by the advantages that persons experience in life at the detriment of others, who are considered as disadvantaged. They fail to recognize that the only reason they experience privilege in different areas of their lives is because they belong to the dominant social groups or categories.
The idea of privilege relates to normative groups because persons belonging to one or more normative groups are much more likely to experience privilege in different areas of their lives. Normative groups often find themselves in a much better position to experience a sense of advantage in their lives considering that their positions in the groups gives them an added advantage as they progress through life (Gitterman, 2019). It is important to note that people who are not in the normative groups face more challenges as they progress in life considering that they do not enjoy the privilege accorded to those belonging to the dominant group. For example, a white person experiences privilege in multiple areas, such as employment and housing among others because of their belonging to a normative group.
Normative groups often use their privilege to strengthen their normative status in several ways, which gives them an added advantage over some of the other groups. Personally, I belong to the able-bodied normative group, which uses its ability to discriminate against those suffering from disability. The chances of a disabled person getting employed in a position that has received applications from able-bodied individuals is low considering that they are often discriminated against based on their disabilities. I have personally experienced instances where persons suffering from disabilities experience discrimination without consideration of their talents and abilities.
Belonging to the normative groups increases one’s chances of access to different types of privilege considering that such individuals find themselves in a greater position that is considered as being higher than that of persons in one normative group. For example, a person that is white and poor belongs to a single normative group, which gives him/her far less privilege when compared to a person that is white and rich. The greater the number of normative groups that one belongs, the higher the types of privilege that one experiences, which have a significant impact on the life that one leads.
Groups of Difference
A group of difference refers to people who experience disadvantages and different forms of discrimination in the society. Such people may have characteristics or traits that distinct them from other people, which is an aspect that create the differences. Additionally, people in a group of difference may be minorities in a society, or people who are considered less fortunate (Prior & Jones, 2018). An example of a group of difference is the African-Americans, who are distinguished based on their skin color. Additionally, persons of disability, the extremely poor people, and the women in the society are an example of a group of difference.
Belonging to a group of difference would mean that an individual faces a wide range of implications that may impact on their day to day activities. The first significant implication of being in a group of difference entails facing discrimination. Most people in these groups tend to face different forms of discrimination, which hinder them from having equal opportunities with other people in the society. The second implication of the being in a group of difference include segregation. Majority of people in the group face segregation, which hinders their ability to engage in effective day to day operations are they are not exposed to environments that support their individual growth and development. Microaggressions refers to actions that result to unintentional discrimination against the marginalized people in the society (Neville et al., 2020). The unintentional discrimination plays a vital role in depicting a difference among people who are marginalized thus the development of a group of difference.
Belonging to a group of difference creates a situation where one finds himself or herself at a disadvantage in life; thus, affecting one’s perspective of life. For example, an African American, who was raised in poverty, lacks that sense of confidence to progress in life considering that he or she was belongs to a group of difference. Gitterman (2019) maintains that most people who belong to a group of difference have unfavorable interactions with the criminal justice system considering that it does not favor them in as much as they expect it to. Ultimately, this impacts their life experiences and creates a high likelihood that they may end up having negative views about life.
Conclusion
The society is a key contributor to the existing inequality and discrimination considering that it promotes social identities that differentiate specific groups of people. Societies often determine a person’s value based on socially constructed ideas about difference, which differ from one person to another. Some of the key factors contributing to existing differences in people are gender, race, sexuality, ability, and class, among others. Normative groups refer to specific groups of people that exist within the dominant category. Some examples of normative groups include white people, able-bodied individuals, and persons belonging to the middle- or upper-class categories. Privilege refers to the unearned advantage that persons belonging to normative groups experience at the detriment of others. Belonging to more than one normative group increases the types of privilege that one experiences in life. Groups of difference, on the other hand, refer to the groups of people that experience stereotyping and discrimination in the society. Examples of these groups include African Americans, persons with disabilities, and females, among others.
References
Gitterman, P. (2019). Social identities, power, and privilege: The importance of difference in establishing early group cohesion. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy , 69 (1), 99-125.
Neville, F. G., Novelli, D., Drury, J., & Reicher, S. D. (2020). Shared social identity transforms social relations in imaginary crowds. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations , 1368430220936759.
Prior, S., & Jones, L. (2018). Investigating Difference: Human and Cultural Relations in Criminal Justice . New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.
Wagoner, J. A., & Hogg, M. A. (2016). Normative dissensus, identity-uncertainty, and subgroup autonomy. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice , 20 (4), 310.
