6.2c Minority and Dominant Groups

In any stratified system, there are minority and dominant groups. A minority group is any group the dominant group puts in an inferior position. Minority groups are also called marginalized or underrepresented groups. They have less access to capital, status, and power than others. A dominant group has the most access to these. It may use legal or illegal means to keep its advantaged position.

Whether a group is dominant is not based on its size. Women (50.5%) slightly outnumber men in the United States (U.S. Census, v2023). However, men have more power, status, and capital. For example, men are overrepresented in government. In 2025, women hold 26 (26%) of U.S. Senate seats, 125 (28.73%) of U.S. House seats, and 32.4% of local offices (mayor, city council) (Center for American Women and Politics, 2025a; 2025b; see Figure 6.1).

Representation Shapes a Government’s Priorities

Representation in government matters. The United Nations finds that governments with more women can have different priorities. One study finds that when local governments have more women involved, access to childcare improves (UN Women, 2013). The gender makeup of governments shapes a government’s priorities, as do other characteristics like race and social class groups.

In the United States, men, White people, upper-class people, and people without disabilities are in dominant groups. Some, such as White upper-class men, belong to multiple dominant groups with even more power and status. Others belong to both dominant and minority groups. They have more power or status in some settings and are disadvantaged in others. For example, a person may be advantaged because they belong to the dominant gender group (men) but are disadvantaged because they belong to a minority racial group (Black).