The author debunks four common myths believed to be widely accepted by the American people. He states out the myth entirely, then lays out facts that clearly debunk the myths. The facts have all been cited back to reliable sources, which leaves little room for argument. He also lays out three “American Profiles” describing three people, one with a salary just above the poverty line, one with a somewhat median salary, and one with a high-income bracket salary. He uses details of what happened early in those individuals lives to describe how economic class can influence chances of success in the future.…
When America first started out as a growing nation—with seemingly endless opportunities and chances for success —a concept grew along with it. A concept that in it of itself is protected by the Declaration of Independence but was not coined until the late 1930s: the American Dream. The American Dream is the ideology, which many people follow, that states that there is an equal opportunity for Americans to attain success if they show determination and work persistently. However, this ideal today is far from what it started as. In Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich explores the idea of not only thriving in the lower classes of the nation, but also surviving.…
In the article, “We Are Not Created Equal in Every Way”, Joan Ryan writes about a little girl who loves to dance but seemingly is not a skinny petite child. The author, who has written substantially about the pressures on young female athletes tosses out a red herring, insisting that the concern is not about Fredrika’s weight but that a child of only eight years is being thrust into such a burdensome position. My interpretation of this article is that the author is trying to validate reasons for the child to not be accepted due to her weight. Therefore, I would like to point out some of the logical flaws in her reasoning.…
Author, Stuart Ewen, in his essay “Chosen People” talks about how the middle class has fooled America. The middle class is presented as an imaginary structure in American society. The middle class is an illusion to Americans; it has changed the meaning of the American dream. Ewen throughout his essay shows how the middle class was created in the United States. Ewen then moves the industrial revolution created, such as the perceptions.…
Perception is reality. The American dream is just that, one’s perception on how they perceive to be successful. Our nation was built on the idea of this so called “American dream”. But, as the times have changed; is the American Dream really still accessible in today’s societies? In the article, “Confronting Inequality” by Paul Krugman, the author claims that the American Dream is no longer obtainable for most Americans due to the extreme levels of income inequality.…
What is the American dream? Many search for this “dream” of fortune only to be disappointed. We live in a capitalist society. Capitalism is “an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit” (Lecture “Labor Theory: Karl Marx” 28th of January). As long as we are living in this system there will always be a hierarchy of classes.…
In the United States, there is the belief that an individual, no matter who they are or where they come from, has the ability to succeed as long as they work hard for what they want to achieve. This belief is known as “The American Dream”. Despite “The American Dream” being a hegemonic belief, in reality it is not true. Within the United States there are systems that uphold inequality. These systems of inequality make it difficult for certain groups of people to achieve the so-called “American Dream” no matter their abilities.…
Similar to how standard beauty became impossible to achieve, the American Dream also became impossible to accomplish. Now the American Dream requires more effort, time, and money to achieve. Future generations are feeling the burden of the American Dream because the “money is a barrier” (Source E). In addition, many believe that if they “aren’t given the opportunity or … don’t have the funds to be able to continue working hard then [they will] never get the chance” (Source E). This is especially true for the unprivileged low-class citizens.…
In Gregory Mantsios’s “Class in America” he discusses the myths and realities of class differentiation. One thing he jumps into in the beginning of his essay is that Americans don’t prefer to talk about social class. Some people have even stated that they dislike using the word ‘class’ or ‘upper-class’ due to the reason that they believe it mows down their fortune and responsibility. Even though some Americans are concentrated on class identification Mantsios writes that most people aren’t aware of their actions to avoid this subject, this may be because of the fact that “…Class identity has been stripped from popular culture” (Mantsios, 282). It is now deemed ‘un-American’ to even compare certain issues with classes.…
According to America’s current economic and social realities the American Dream…
Inequality We live in a country that is full of opportunity, or so we are told. In early America you had the chance to work hard and become successful, but in today’s society working, hard doesn’t guarantee success. In Brandon King’s article, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” King believes that the American Dream is more alive than ever but has morphed from people wanting to be filthy rich to wanting a stable, middle class lifestyle (611).…
The American dream was first defined by James Truslow Adams as “dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. Many forget to point out the “everyone” aspect of the definition, as in every American should have an equal opportunity to achieve this dream. Not everyone in history has had an equal chance to achieve the American dream, whether it be discrimination, or suppression it has never been a reality for everyone in a time period, yet at least. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the novel was taken place in the 1920s and there was a character named Daisy, and because of the sexism in the 1920s towards females, she had less…
The “American Dream” has been a central piece of ideology in American culture and history; the thought that any person, regardless of their background, could transcend their assigned socioeconomic class was among the most attractive reasons for coming to the new world. The transition from agrarianism (pre 1850) into industrialism (post 1850) changed the class structure from a relatively fixed one, making it easier for common workers to move their way up to the middle class. A more complex economy allowed them to take different career paths, and were rewarded based off merit rather than ownership. The same new economy allowed common workers to advocate for themselves where previously they could not. Although during these times there were several economic highs and lows, after the industrial revolution, intrinsic efforts from common workers to move into the middle class were more rewarded than they were previously.…
One American’s dream could be obtaining numerous, expensive possessions while another’s could be to go from poor to wealthy. Either way, it is a well-known concept that one’s life can be better, richer, and fuller regardless of social class…
“Class in America - 2012,” by Gregory Mantsios, explores class in the Modern Day United States and its effects on individual accomplishments. Mr. Mantsios believes that the classes of America can be divided into three categories: The ultra wealthy, the working class, and the poor. However, this is simply not the case. On the upper end of the spectrum, there is a capitalist class of people in between the ultra wealthy and the working class. On the lower end of the spectrum, there is a class of people wedged between the ultra poor and the middle class.…