Social Dominance Theory

On the surface, social dominance theory paints a bleak picture of the nature of human social behavior. It takes as a given that inequality necessarily arises from society’s tendency to categorize people into their social groups and perpetuate hierarchies on which the power relations between these groups are founded. While other theories would explain intergroup biases and discriminatory behavior as a consequence of subjective misattribution, resource competition, or ingroup positive distinctiveness, social dominance takes group hierarchies as a preexisting default mode in human social behavior. We discriminate not for any other motive but to retain the high status of our groups through the legitimized inequalities present in society. Social dominance theory demonstrates how the proponents’ personal narratives play a significant role in determining the conceptions and formulations that eventually…

to the level that race relations have continued to remain strained rather than disappearing over time (Sidanius, Levin, & Pratto, 1996, p. 385). The structure of American Society can therefore be understood as a social hierarchy with a white population at the top and a negative black reference group at the bottom. Current social psychology models used to explain prejudice and discrimination are right-wing authoritarianism, frustration-aggression hypothesis and belief congruence. It will be…

Originally it was believed that all traits are blended together. Due to the work of Gregor Mendel, though, it was shown that characteristics are a result of inherited factors, known as genes1. Genes are units of heredity on a chromosome that bring about our existence and create diversity. This diversity arises from the fact that there are different forms of genes known as alleles. All the alleles of an organism are referred to as that organism’s genotype and results in an organism’s phenotype,…

Analysis of phenotype and genotype using Phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) variation taste sensitivity Introduction Taste occurs when chemical signals stimulate taste receptor cells in the oral cavity to detect tastes such as sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. PTC taste sensitivity is very common substance used to study taste perception. Many studies have provided insights into tastes perception using sodium benzoate and thiourea. PTC sensitivity has often been used for practical demonstrations in…

Ectodermal Dysplasia Jonathan Moon American Fork Junior High A2 2/24/17 Abstract Ectodermal Dysplasia is a group of conditions that interfere with the normal functions of skin, hair, nails, teeth or sweat glands. These abnormalities cause various issues with everyday activities such as eating, brushing hair, exercising, and blinking. This paper will explain how this disease occurs, its symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Causes of ED Ectodermal Dysplasia, or ED, is a genetic disorder that…

and we also learned how to use the Chi-Square test as a tool to access the statistical significance data collected from a genetic cross. Our hypothesis for the experiment that included green and albino corn genetics, was that the ratio of green to albino seedlings would be 3:1. Our results showed that we were almost exactly right with that hypothesis. Our hypothesis for the analysis dihybrid cross in corn was that the ending ratio would be 9:3:3:1, our results drew close to that ratio. The…

Mendel served as the administrator from 1863 until his death. Mendel continued his science and heredity studies. During his time at the University, Mendel made friends with two of his professors, Friedrich Franz who was a physicist and Johann Karl Nestler who was an agricultural biologist, who were also interested in heredity. Mendel’s monastery had a five acre garden where two former professors encouraged Gregor to pursue his interest in heredity by using the garden for his experiments.…

Confirmation of Mendel’s Law of Segregation I. In Biology class the past few weeks we have been learning about Gregor Mendel. Gregor Mendel is often called the father of modern genetics. Mendel developed the theory of inheritance several decades before the observance of chromosomes via microscope. In Biology lab the past two weeks I completed a series of tests using fast plants, Brassica rapa. The objective of this experiment was to study the Mendelian laws of genetics as they applied to…

Albinism is a rare genetic condition characterized by the reduced pigmentation in a person’s hair, skin, and eyes. In most variations of the disorder, it is an autosomal recessive condition, an albino individual would have to inherit the recessive allele from both parents. This condition has been of particular intrigue to me ever since I had been introduced to the disorder when reading a novel where the main character suffered from albinism. Even though this character had suffered extreme…

Gregor Mendel lived during the early 1820’s till the early 1840’s. He grew up on a farm in rural Austria, consequently education was not always the top priority. A teacher noticed his capabilities, and recommended a higher level of schooling, Gregor flourished in his studies, and became a monk. While being a monk, he was sent to a university in Vienna to further his studies. Mendel discovered genetics and heredity after experiments with a pea plant in his garden. He decided on pea plants based…