the matrix of domination is a system in which: course hero

by Chyna Feil II 5 min read

What is the matrix of domination?

The matrix of domination is a way for people to acknowledge their privileges in society. How one is able to interact, what social groups one is in, and the networks one establishes is all based on different interconnected classifications.

How does the matrix of domination affect the welfare state?

In the United States, especially, the matrix of domination has implications within the welfare state. Several sociological studies on the welfare state take note of state-market relations while ignoring the salient roles held by other identities such as gender, race, class, language, and age, among others.

What is the domination system and how do we escape?

The Domination System is instilled through fear-based control systems. We “escape” by healing our attachment wounds and reclaiming the power of our energy and attention.” James McCrae In order to transition out of a System of Domination (the Matrix) we must undergo a Process of Transformation.

What is the difference between the matrix of domination and intersectionality?

The matrix of domination looks at the overall organization of power in society while intersectionality is used to understand a specific social location of an identity using mutually constructing features of oppression.

What is matrix of domination?

The matrix of domination is a way for people to acknowledge their privileges in society. How one is able to interact, what social groups one is in, and the networks one establishes is all based on different interconnected classifications.

What is the matrix of domination in the colonial era?

The societal hierarchy determined by race and implemented under apartheid locates different racial populations in regards to their privilege, with African Americans usually at the bottom of the ladder.

Why did intersectionality not allow individuals to have equal opportunities?

There are countless numbers of court cases that examine intersectionality within the workforce that did not allow individuals to have equal opportunities because of their race, gender, and social class.

What is the mechanism of social control?

Mechanisms of social control find themselves helping to categorize those who are not cis-gendered and white as the "Other". Heitzeg, using Patricia Hill Collin's "matrix of domination" explores how shapes access to social control as well as opportunity.

Does feminism ignore the experiences of women of color?

Not only does feminism completely disregard the experiences of women of color, it also solidifies the connection between womanhood and whiteness when feminists speak for "all women". (Crenshaw:154) Oppression cannot be detangled or separated easily in the same way identities cannot be separated easily.

Matrix of Domination

The Matrix of Domination is founded on the Ideology of Inequality. This idea centers on the fact that the position people have in life is earned. For example, the wealthy are worthy of their riches because they worked for it, while those who are poor deserve their plight for being lazy etc.

Residential Segregation, Housing and Neighborhood Conditions

In this section, research and describe what the housing and neighborhood conditions are like for your ethnicity in America and what residential segregation exists between your ethnicity and others.

What is the matrix of dominance?

The Matrix of Domination is a Neo-Marxist theory developed by Patricia Collins that explains how complex systems of inequality interconnect in order to keep a social hierarchy in place. These systems include housing, workplace/ employment, media, crime, education, health and family. Individuals who are negatively affected by the Matrix, ...

Do African Americans have specialized degrees?

African Americans are less likely to have specialized secondary educational degrees , thus making them seem less qualified for certain employment positions when compared to the many more educated Caucasian individuals. This is evident in the hiring procedures in many private and governmental corporations'.

Is Anglo-Saxon more likely to be chosen for a position in a company than those whose names

This is evident in the hiring procedures in many private and governmental corporations'. When compared side by side individuals with more traditional Anglo-Saxon names are more likely to be chosen for a position in a company than those whose names tend to sound more African American.

Overview

The matrix of domination or matrix of oppression is a sociological paradigm that explains issues of oppression that deal with race, class, and gender, which, though recognized as different social classifications, are all interconnected. Other forms of classification, such as sexual orientation, religion, or age, apply to this theory as well. Patricia Hill Collins is credited with introducing the theory in her work entitled Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics …

Theory applied

Though Collins' main focus of the theory of the matrix of domination was applied to African-American women, there are many other examples that can be used to illustrate the theory. Other examples include Log Cabin Republicans, female criminality, and African-American Muslim women. One of the key concepts of the matrix of domination is that the different categories, like race and gender, are separate groups, rather than a combination. This is a problem that can be s…

Matrix of domination compared to intersectionality

In Collins' Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment, she first describes the concept of matrix thinking within the context of how black women in America encounter institutional discrimination based upon their race and gender. A prominent example of this in the 1990s was racial segregation, especially as it related to housing, education, and employment. At the time, there was very little encouraged interaction between whites and bl…

Implications of the matrix of domination

Many approaches have been used that consider the concepts of identity, societal structures, and representation to be mutually exclusive, but the introduction of Patricia Hill Collins’ matrix of domination addresses the interlocking patterns of privilege and marginalization along the lines of race, class, gender, and class inside social institutions as well as at the community level. With this work has come greater recognition of the various effects that each identity holds in different soc…

Intersectionality of gender and class

The benefits that upper-class citizens receive from their employer are far different from that of working-class employees. This is due to the upper class taking jobs that give them a higher status or position, whereas the working class take jobs with lower status such as retail and blue-collar jobs. The most obvious benefit that differs between classes is the amount of money made. Upper-class workers receive significantly more pay than the working class, and while the upper class re…

Intersectionality in court cases

There are countless numbers of court cases that examine intersectionality within the workforce that did not allow individuals to have equal opportunities because of their race, gender, and social class.
The case, DeGraffenreid vs. General Motors, provides an example when the law does an injustice to those that face discrimination. Emma DeGraffenreid and four other black female production w…

See also

• Black feminism
• Intersectionality
• Multiple jeopardy
• Triple oppression

Further reading

• Collins, Patricia Hill. (2000) Black Feminist Thought: knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. New York, Routledge.
• Byng, Michelle D (1998). "Mediating Discrimination: Resisting Oppression among African-American Muslim Women". Social Problems. 45 (4): 473–487. doi:10.1525/sp.1998.45.4.03x0176t.