Glossary of terms

mainstream: the center or in-group. The mainstream sets the tone for a group or organization or society, its own preferences become the norms for the group, and it provides most of the leadership for carrying out the mission of the group. The mainstream may or may not be conscious of its role and higher status. Everyone is a member of some mainstream or other: even a working class Jewish radical lesbian may be able-bodied, for example, and "able-bodied" is a mainstream identity. When we talk about the mainstream, we contrast it with the margin.

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