Wealth and Success in Today’s Market: A Synthesis
Through hard work and dedication to education, one will succeed in in their life. Children all over America hear this every day. It is one of the biggest components of the American Dream, but is it true for everyone? Sadly, it is not. “Generation R: The Changing Fortunes of America’s Youth” by Don Peck is in agreement with “Are Recent College Graduates Finding Good Jobs?” in saying that the American Dream now function as a myth, particularly when discussing success and wealth. The texts concur in that today’s society especially, working hard and succeeding in the classroom is not always enough. Careful analyzation of these works can allow one to see even deeper into the myth. One can see that …show more content…
It tells of how the younger generation does not feel as pressured to take the first job thrown at them, and how they instead wait for one they want. According to Don Peck, this is why the 20’s have become “a sort of netherworld between adolescence and adulthood” (Peck 299) where job switching and low employment rates are not rare. Peck also says that the recent recession has most likely permanently harmed the recent generation chances of succeeding. He found that the impact of the Great Depression on young workers and the effects have lasted them a lifetime. However, this is not the only reason that the youth of today’s workforce may be in trouble. Peck claims, the rising rates of unemployment is partly due to the recession and partly due to the mentality of what he calls Generation R (in which the R stands for recession). In more recent years, most children are told that they are special and can do anything. This attitude is brought out in later years, when they turn down jobs that are not perfectly tailored to their liking. The new generation has very materialistic desires, and does not want to work for them. The piece concluded with facts from surveys and studies that show how young adults lives have decelerated or reversed completely, as they decline employment and some even end up moving back in with …show more content…
The sources agree that the latest generation of college graduates has a rough time occupation wise while in their twenties. For example, Don Peck found that the percent of twenty six year olds living with their parents has doubled from the 1970’s, now one in five instead of one in every ten (Peck 305). With the more recent recession the American Dream is even more far fetched. According to “Are Recent College Graduates Finding Good Jobs?” the unemployment rates of recent college graduates (graduates aged 22-27) has risen to 7% when even after the Great Depression, unemployment for those with degrees was only at 5%. The mentality of the current youth is not likely to improve matters. National data shows that many of today’s young adults do not like to work for the sake of work and have turned down careers because they only desire careers that fit perfectly to their interests and how they wish to live their lives (Peck 303). One might see this as laziness, but if a person is told from a young age that they can do anything and become a success, does that not become part of the American Dream? Finally, the recent recession is seen as doing permanent damage to the newest graduates. Those that take jobs in recessions often take ones with low wages, and even if the market recovers, they are always going to be behind the workers who began their careers with higher salaries (Peck 300).
Through hard work and dedication to education, one will succeed in in their life. Children all over America hear this every day. It is one of the biggest components of the American Dream, but is it true for everyone? Sadly, it is not. “Generation R: The Changing Fortunes of America’s Youth” by Don Peck is in agreement with “Are Recent College Graduates Finding Good Jobs?” in saying that the American Dream now function as a myth, particularly when discussing success and wealth. The texts concur in that today’s society especially, working hard and succeeding in the classroom is not always enough. Careful analyzation of these works can allow one to see even deeper into the myth. One can see that …show more content…
It tells of how the younger generation does not feel as pressured to take the first job thrown at them, and how they instead wait for one they want. According to Don Peck, this is why the 20’s have become “a sort of netherworld between adolescence and adulthood” (Peck 299) where job switching and low employment rates are not rare. Peck also says that the recent recession has most likely permanently harmed the recent generation chances of succeeding. He found that the impact of the Great Depression on young workers and the effects have lasted them a lifetime. However, this is not the only reason that the youth of today’s workforce may be in trouble. Peck claims, the rising rates of unemployment is partly due to the recession and partly due to the mentality of what he calls Generation R (in which the R stands for recession). In more recent years, most children are told that they are special and can do anything. This attitude is brought out in later years, when they turn down jobs that are not perfectly tailored to their liking. The new generation has very materialistic desires, and does not want to work for them. The piece concluded with facts from surveys and studies that show how young adults lives have decelerated or reversed completely, as they decline employment and some even end up moving back in with …show more content…
The sources agree that the latest generation of college graduates has a rough time occupation wise while in their twenties. For example, Don Peck found that the percent of twenty six year olds living with their parents has doubled from the 1970’s, now one in five instead of one in every ten (Peck 305). With the more recent recession the American Dream is even more far fetched. According to “Are Recent College Graduates Finding Good Jobs?” the unemployment rates of recent college graduates (graduates aged 22-27) has risen to 7% when even after the Great Depression, unemployment for those with degrees was only at 5%. The mentality of the current youth is not likely to improve matters. National data shows that many of today’s young adults do not like to work for the sake of work and have turned down careers because they only desire careers that fit perfectly to their interests and how they wish to live their lives (Peck 303). One might see this as laziness, but if a person is told from a young age that they can do anything and become a success, does that not become part of the American Dream? Finally, the recent recession is seen as doing permanent damage to the newest graduates. Those that take jobs in recessions often take ones with low wages, and even if the market recovers, they are always going to be behind the workers who began their careers with higher salaries (Peck 300).