The Dominant Ideology Thesis (DIT) is a theory which examines the power dynamics between dominant and subordinate groups in society. The DIT proposes that the dominant group exerts its influence so as to maintain its dominance over the subordinate group, while the subordinate group is influenced by the dominant group to conform to the ideas and values of the dominant group (Lemert, 2011). The DIT is applicable to many social contexts, including class, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.
The DIT has been used to analyze the relationship between dominant and subordinate groups in a variety of contexts. For example, Bourdieu (1977) used the DIT to analyze the wealth and power dynamics between the upper and lower classes in France. He argued that the upper class was able to maintain its dominance over the lower class by controlling the resources which the lower class was able to access. Similarly, Connell (1987) used the DIT to analyze the power dynamics between men and women. She argued that the dominant group (men) was able to maintain its dominance over the subordinate group (women) by controlling the resources which were available to them.
The DIT has also been used to analyze the power dynamics between different ethnic and racial groups. For example, Omi and Winant (1986) used the DIT to analyze the power dynamics between white and black Americans. They argued that the dominant group (white Americans) was able to maintain its dominance over the subordinate group (black Americans) by controlling the resources which were available to them. Similarly, Espiritu (1992) used the DIT to analyze the power dynamics between Asian Americans and white Americans. She argued that the dominant group (white Americans) was able to maintain its dominance over the subordinate group (Asian Americans) by controlling the resources which were available to them.
The DIT has been an influential theory in social science research, and it has been applied to a variety of contexts. The DIT provides a framework for understanding the power dynamics between dominant and subordinate groups in society, and it can be used to analyze the ways in which the dominant group is able to maintain its dominance over the subordinate group.
References
Bourdieu, P. (1977). Outline of a theory of practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Connell, R. W. (1987). Gender and power: Society, the person, and sexual politics. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Espiritu, Y. L. (1992). Asian American women and men: Labor, laws, and love. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Lemert, C. (2011). Social theory: The multicultural and classic readings. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Omi, M., & Winant, H. (1986). Racial formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1980s. New York, NY: Routledge.