introduction

  • I will try to make the concepts in this article apply equally to all superior/subordinate relationships:
    • parent/child
    • employer/employee
    • teacher/pupil
    • master/servant
    • superior soldier/subordinate soldier
    • master/pet
    • owner/horse
  • for convenience, I'm using
    • 'woman' = subordinate; 'man' = superior
    • I use the masculine gender when I'm referring to a superior, feminine gender when I'm referrring to a subordinate
      • ex: he required her to file her reports on time