Thursday, November 3, 2011
Inequalities - Becca Libby
"...but a recent mobility study suggests the American Dream may be more style than substance." I was trying to think of a way to describe how I feel about the "American dream", but this is it. I think when this phase came about, (maybe in the 30s or 40s? I don't actually know) it meant simply a way of life. An American historian described it as "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement". Without any immediate thought, you might think this would apply to everyone, and I'm sure peoples hearts were in the right place, but this statement almost promotes inequality. The quote says "according to ability or achievement", ability I can understand but achievement sounds like only those people who have risen to a high social standing should be privy to the American dream. Today I'm sure most people think of the American dream as having a close and comfortable family relationship, a good job that supports you enough to afford a nice house, 2 cars, and a little left over for savings or vacations. It's freedom of having the things you need without wanting for things you don't have, this is the ideal perception. For some people today, this is an achievable goal, but not for very many. The real perception is, very few people are actually capable of achieving this dream, and many who had no longer have it due to credit card debt, or losing their jobs, or just the downfall in our economy. The differences in perception have a lot to do with being informed. Most upper class members are aware of what is happening in the country, a lot of lower class do not (at least not enough to fully understand the extent) mainly because they are not educated about it, so they still think the ideal American dream is still achievable. I'm not saying all lower class people have the wool pulled over their eyes, or all upper class people know exactly what is going on with our country, but that is what I see every day. Also, I think if there is someone who appears from the outside (probably not in the inside) to be living the American dream for real, it's Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
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I agree with you about the American Dream being considered a better way of life for people. I described it as people having enough money to do whatever they wanted, but were not limited by working everyday at tough jobs like ordinary middle to lower class Americans have to. I don't think it was really intended to create any social or economical inequality, it was simply something for Americans to work towards in life. The inequality which exists in the U.S. is a result of other factors, not just because of a common goal for Americans.
ReplyDeleteI also mentioned celebrities in my discussion, they seem to be the ones who have achieved the current American Dream. They have so much money and wealth, they can do whatever they want and not have to worry about going bankrupt anytime soon. Some celebrities live the American Dream and throw away their money, but that is their decision.
I absolutely don't think it was intended to create inequality, I realize now that it sort of came off that way. I do think that it happened as more of a side effect, not on purpose. I think so many people were working toward the American dream goal, and deserved to achieve it. Others were just trying to make it seem as if they were living the American dream without really working toward it, which is probably what created much of our debt. Now it's blown up in the faces of those individuals who (probably without knowing it) thought they could have that dream without doing the working and saving that it requires. Thanks for that comment, it actually made me think a lot more about it.
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