Social categories are defined and maintained to establish a social hierarchy, and one of these social categories is religion (Adam, 2013). Hence, the dominance of one religious group over another creates a hegemony, which is defined as “unconscious reproduction of dominant group norms, values, beliefs, [and] cultural forms carried on as part of everyday life” (Adams & Joshi, 2013, p. 230). In the United States, Protestant Christianity is the dominant religion, and this dominance of Protestant Christianity creates Christian hegemony, which is “society’s unacknowledged adherence to a dominant religious worldview that…publicly affirms Christian observances” (2013, p. 230). This Christian hegemony in society also leads to Christian privilege, which
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The early settlers of the future United States of America were Christians, and Protestant Christianity became the dominant religion (Lippy, 2013). As schools began to develop, Protestant Christianity became the basis for the curriculum, and schools became an avenue to teach Protestant Christianity’s norms, which influences daily life (2013). During the peak of immigration to the United States between the end of the Civil War and World War I, many immigrants from various religious backgrounds entered the country and included Jews (2013), who have been antagonized for their religion for centuries (Hilberg, 2013; Gilbert, 2013) for centuries, and the Protestant Christians feared that the immigrants would challenge their dominant norms and customs in society (Lippy, 2013). Thus, the powers that be educated the immigrants to teach them societal norms and customs that were based on Protestant Christianity (2013). Therefore, the immigrants’ religions and customs of their homeland were marginalized by the Christian …show more content…
The idea of “gaydar” assumes a specific set of characteristics to identify a gay person (Esposito & Baez, 2008), and these characteristics to identify a gay person leads to stereotypes along the dichotomy of gender roles in society (Sears, 1991). Cory, a homosexual male, “played on the swings until he ‘puked,’ tormented sissies, and led a group of redneck hellraisers” (1991, p. 212). In the world with a stereotypical image of a gay male with effeminate characteristics, Cory could not be a homosexual (1991). Just as “gaydar” stereotypes (Esposito & Baez, 2008), stereotypes are also used to generalize and create oppressive behavior toward non-Christian religious groups (Zawam, 2013). For example, after the 9/11 attacks, Muslims are stereotyped as being terrorist (2013). Omran does not “understand why when one person does something wrong, the whole Muslim community and religion gets blamed for it” (2013, p. 296). In addition, Kantrowitz (2013) notes Jewish people are stereotyped as having certain noses that identifies them as Jews. However, it is important to note that the Jews are a multi-racial people and are not defined by one generalized appearance
The early settlers of the future United States of America were Christians, and Protestant Christianity became the dominant religion (Lippy, 2013). As schools began to develop, Protestant Christianity became the basis for the curriculum, and schools became an avenue to teach Protestant Christianity’s norms, which influences daily life (2013). During the peak of immigration to the United States between the end of the Civil War and World War I, many immigrants from various religious backgrounds entered the country and included Jews (2013), who have been antagonized for their religion for centuries (Hilberg, 2013; Gilbert, 2013) for centuries, and the Protestant Christians feared that the immigrants would challenge their dominant norms and customs in society (Lippy, 2013). Thus, the powers that be educated the immigrants to teach them societal norms and customs that were based on Protestant Christianity (2013). Therefore, the immigrants’ religions and customs of their homeland were marginalized by the Christian …show more content…
The idea of “gaydar” assumes a specific set of characteristics to identify a gay person (Esposito & Baez, 2008), and these characteristics to identify a gay person leads to stereotypes along the dichotomy of gender roles in society (Sears, 1991). Cory, a homosexual male, “played on the swings until he ‘puked,’ tormented sissies, and led a group of redneck hellraisers” (1991, p. 212). In the world with a stereotypical image of a gay male with effeminate characteristics, Cory could not be a homosexual (1991). Just as “gaydar” stereotypes (Esposito & Baez, 2008), stereotypes are also used to generalize and create oppressive behavior toward non-Christian religious groups (Zawam, 2013). For example, after the 9/11 attacks, Muslims are stereotyped as being terrorist (2013). Omran does not “understand why when one person does something wrong, the whole Muslim community and religion gets blamed for it” (2013, p. 296). In addition, Kantrowitz (2013) notes Jewish people are stereotyped as having certain noses that identifies them as Jews. However, it is important to note that the Jews are a multi-racial people and are not defined by one generalized appearance