Minority and Dominant Response Patterns Towards Gays, the Disabled and the Elderly

Minority and Dominant response patterns vary by group. We will cover gays, the disabled and the elderly in this paper. Gay people have long dealt with social un-acceptance. Because of this they have demonstrated all four minority responses. Gay people's minority responses and the dominant responses directed towards them are comparable to that of what black people experienced in the past. The first response gays exhibited and still exhibit avoidance from the straight world. In the 1960's being gay meant you had something wrong with you, therefore gays created their own world, separate neighborhoods, stores and clubs from those of the straight world. The same can be said for Black people, as being Black meant you had something wrong with you, like a disease. Blacks segregated themselves (sometimes by choice, sometimes not) to separate neighborhoods and such just as gays did. Some gays (and Blacks) lived near straight people, but the straights were generally more liberal and accepting.

Gays also showed defiance, such as the Stonewall Riots of 1969. These were violent confrontations between the New York City police and gay people. Police had always given gays a hard time and the gays decided to fight back after an incident with a transvestite. Nowadays, police may give gays a harder time depending on the area, in San Francisco gays are highly accepted and open whereas in the Midwest or the South, gays are less accepted. Black people also showed defiance such as gays did with the Chicago riots and general defiance towards the prejudice pushed on them. Gays also demonstrated deviance as they set themselves apart from the normal culture because of their sexual preference. Gays have also shown acceptance, first they hid themselves more from the straight world, then fought back and now are able to openly display themselves. They have accepted who they are and want the public to accept them as well. After the Stonewall riot, thousands of people fought for gay rights. Gays begin to see that activism was more beneficial for their rights than silence.

Dominant response patterns towards gays begin with homophobia. Homophobia is everywhere but when it is shown in the workplace, it can be especially hard for gays to deal with. In the workplace, gays may experience pay difference, harassment and termination. They also experience harassment in public, from individuals who are uncomfortable with gay's sexual orientation. Black people have long experienced harassment and discrimination in the workplace (such as gays have), with lower wages, etc. In the past legislative controls made it illegal in some cities to be gay. This rule has since been lifted but gays still experience discrimination in marriage. Only a couple of states allow gays to marry, otherwise it is illegal for gay people to be legally married. At one point Black people were not allowed to marry outside their race, showing government control over them. Dominant responses towards gays also include social segregation; this includes separate gay bars, which is in part for gays to feel more comfortable and have their own space and also to make straights more comfortable being with their own kind. Black people also experienced heavy discrimination through the Jim Crow laws.

Minority responses for disabled people include avoidance and acceptance. Disabled people are comparable to immigrants to the United States, as the United States is less familiar with what to do with them; they decide to control them through dominant responses. Disabled individuals may be less likely to attend events that are not handicap accessible or where they feel they might not be welcomed. They also have more acceptances about their situation. Many disabled people have invisible disabilities, or disabilities that are not visible to the public such as ADHD or bipolar disorders, in this disabled people may be more willing to accept their disability as they are not automatically judged by their condition. The same can be said for immigrants. They may avoid social situations where they feel they will not be welcome. However nowadays it is hard to tell who is an immigrant and who is not as America has become so diverse. Example would be the Mexicans, as they may or may not be an immigrant and it is hard to tell by looking at them, so they may be more accepting of their situation.

Dominant responses to disabled include legislative controls which used to control and punish the disabled but now protect them. In the past the disabled were likely to be ordered to live in a home under constant supervision, as they were deemed not human enough to take care of themselves. After awhile though, legislators decided to provide disability rights including Americans with Disabilities Act which protects the disabled from discrimination. Immigrants also dealt with the government controlling them and interrogating them in order to enter this country. Some laws have since been enacted but laws do not protect immigrants in the way they protect the disabled.

A form of expulsion has also been demonstrated towards disabled, at one time, mentally ill individuals had lobotomy performed on them, removing a part of their brain to make them "more functional." Another dominant response is social segregation. The disabled may be put in a home and segregated from the main world, sometimes for their entire life. Other times, maybe not directly said, disabled are not welcome at certain social events where it would make non disabled people feel uncomfortable. This is where the xenophobia dominant response plays in. Many people have a fear of the unknown, so they reject disabled people and avoid them or treat them differently. Another dominant response pattern is to keep minority groups uneducated and provide fewer opportunities. As only 35% of people with disabilities are employed compared to 78% without disabilities, it leads to much higher poverty rates. Disabled people are three times as likely to live in poverty compared to non disabled people. Education is also lower, as twice as many disabled people drop out of high school compared to non disabled people. This allows the dominant group to suppress disabled people and keep them under control. Immigrants are also less likely to have much education and therefore remain in poverty or lower class.

Elderly people also are a minority group and present responses of avoidance acceptance and defiance. Elderly people generally avoid places where young people hang out, such as clubs and bars. They tend to have other organizations they are involved in such as Bingo or Book clubs. They also demonstrate defiance, as some have an open resistance towards aging. Some elderly use hair coloring, cosmetics and surgery in attempt to appear younger and therefore resist the aging process. Some elderly accept their situation though. In other countries, the elderly are revered such as Asian where it is unacceptable to mistreat the elderly. Elderly treatment, minority responses and dominant responses are comparable to the treatment of women in the past, as women used to be considered submissive and unable to think on their own. Women showed resistance towards their inferior status to men and openly showed defiance.

Dominant responses towards the elderly start with xenophobia and ageism. The elderly are stereotyped as slow, boring and forgetful and unattractive. This leads younger people to react harsher towards them or move them along as if they are invisible or unimportant. They also carry a low social status, in the United States especially the elderly are considered asexual beings, and they may carry negative connotations such as a grumpy old man. Women are also stereotyped such as dumber than men, only capable of fulfilling certain duties such as taking care of the children and home.

Dominant responses also include indifference towards the elderly and social segregation. Many young people want to avoid aging and invest in anti aging products while keeping the elderly at a distance as it is "too late for them". Elderly are also pushed into early retirement and out of the work force due to the employer thinking they are incapable of fulfilling the role anymore due to their age. Old people may be simply ignored nowadays and people show indifference and no interest in them as people. The elderly tend to be exploited in the media as elderly roles are depicted as the stereotypes (i.e. unattractive, annoying, and boring). We expect people to act their age, so if you're old, act old. Women are exploited as well in the media, usually objectified with their sexuality and shown as ignorant, only good at pleasuring men.