Daniel Tatum The Complexity Of Identity

683 Words3 Pages

Identity speaks of who we are as individuals but it also comes from two different groups: social and cultural. These groups are connected to power, values and ideology. Social identities are related to how we interact with people and how we present ourselves. Meanwhile cultural identities relate to society in whole such as religion, values, etc. In this paper I will talk about the dominant and subordinate identities. These identities are one of the biggest challenges people in our society face in their lives. They not only affect ones social life but also their daily interactions. I will also discuss two examples that support this statement, one of them being from the reading of “The complexity of identity” by Daniel Tatum. Now a days, dominant and subordinate identities are two very different identities, who play a very important part in our everyday lives. The dominant group being the one with the most power and influence from society or politics. Dominant identities consist of people who have advantages and privileges that they did not earn by their deeds, but merely by virtue of their group identity. (Louise, Diamond) The subordinate group is the one with less power, who follows and adapts to the rules or …show more content…

Daniel Tatum also explains, that who we are and how we shape ourselves comes from our own characteristics, families, past experiences and political and social conditions. (Lost Queen) Living in a Society like todays’ people see us through others and the image that reflectes on us effects how we are seen in society. She also identifies the oppression within our social structure composed of dominant and subordinate groups and that once we resist our own oppression and that of others, we could embrace our identities and live freely. (Lost

Open Document