Social dominance theory

Social dominance theory is a way of understanding relationships between members of different groups. It suggests that people in higher ranking groups–or those with power or privilege–try to keep their power and status in society. They do this by creating and maintaining structures that give advantages to those in higher ranking groups, and disadvantages to those in lower ranking groups. For example, white people may have advantages over people of color in terms of access to resources and opportunities, which can make it difficult for people of color to succeed as much as white people.