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Dominant narrative can be used to describe the lens in which history is told by the perspective of the dominant culture. This term has been described as an "invisible hand" that guides reality and perceived reality. Dominant narrative can refer to multiple aspects of life, such as history, politics, or different activist groups. Dominant culture is defined as the majority cultural practices of a society. Narrative can be defined as story telling, either true or imaginary. Pairing these two terms together create the notion of dominant narrative, that only the majority story is told and therefore heard. It is a common theme to hear or learn only about the dominant narrative as it comprises the perspective of the majority culture. Examples of dominant narrative can be seen throughout history. Dominant narrative can be defined and decided by the sociopolitical and socioeconomic setting someone lives his or her life in.
Dominant narrative is similar in some ways to the ideas of metanarrative or grand narrative. These two terms refer to the notion that there is a common lived experience, or a totalizing narrative, experience, or account of history. Unlike the above terms, dominant narrative as a concept is used to explain not just only that there is one narrative told, but what makes it possible for that to be the narrative that is told. This term addresses what the reasons are that the dominant narrative is, in fact, dominant or the majority account.
It is also important to look at who is not included in the dominant narrative and how this can affect society and people in those marginalized groups. Not everyone has access to being a part of the dominant narrative. Counter-narrative has been coined as the term regarding the stories and lived experiences of those not in the dominant narrative or not allowed to be a part of it. Counter-narrative are used as a way to share minorities stories excluded and combat the dominant narrative. Counter-narratives, one of the six tenets of Critical race theory, refer to the “silencing of minority perspectives to legitimize power and to a writing of history that includes the voices and perspectives of oppressed groups and challenges liberal claims of neutrality, color blindness and universal truths”.