Caroline Livingston
06.05.2020
● This assignment is about recognizing and naming core concepts in these readings and
clarifying your own understanding of the term and how they apply.
● You are required to use one direct quote from the week’s readings, including proper MLA
style parenthetical citations (see above) to either contribute to your definition of the term
or to connect the term and the readings.
● Exceptional definitions will draw connections to multiple readings both during the
assigned week and from prior modules
(describe at least 2 benefits of using matrix of domination to analyze gender, race, and class
relative to other methods discussed by the authors)
Matrix of Domination
Sees social structure as having multiple, interlocking levels of domination that stem from
societal configurations of race, class, and gender relations
Studying the interactions between three factors in the context of social structure allows
us to better understand how race, class, and gender manifest themself differently depending on
their configuration with others. The matrix of domination approach to race, class, and gender
studies is grounded in history. This means that these three factors interact with other categories
of experiences such as sexuality, ethnicity, age, ability, religion, and nationality. An example is
that women might not only be discriminated against on the basis of gender but also on the basis
of ethnicity or race.
The matrix of domination can be used in regard to privilege between two people of the
same classifications. If one person has a higher education than the other, more opportunities
are available to the person of higher education. Another aspect of the matrix of domination is