American Dream Free Essays

The American Dream is â€Å"that dream of a nation in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with options for each according to capacity or accomplishments. It is a dream of social stability in which each man and each woman shall be able to achieve to the fullest distinction of which they are essentially competent, and be distinguish by others for what they are, despite of the incidental conditions of birth or stance. The American Dream is often something that humanity wonders about. We will write a custom essay sample on American Dream or any similar topic only for you Order Now What is the American dream? Many people discover success in a range of things. There are many different definitions of the American Dream. However, the American Dream embrace a sight of respective prosperity, personal safety, and personal liberty. The American dream is a continually fluctuating set of ideals, reflecting the ideas of an era. The American Dream is a personal thing. Every person’s belief or thought on what the American Dream is different than anybody else’s. There is one noticeable common thread between every conceivable Dream though: the dream is to live a better life socially, monetarily, or contentedly than your parents did. The conflicts at the time helps determine what aspect of life you wish to improve upon, but it will always be the same principal as long as America stands free. Dr. Martin Luther King lived in a time of Racial Segregation. He grew up with people scorning him simply because of the color of his skin. When he began a family of his own, he had the dream that life should be better than he had it. He marched protests and gave speeches, speaking his dream to everyone who would listen. His most famous speech being the â€Å" I have a dream speech†¦ †. This speech spoke of his dream that all men were equal whether they were white, or black, or any other color of skin. That was his American Dream  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before Dr. King, People of all nations Immigrated to this country to have a better life. A better life than their parents had. They had either grown up in poverty or worse. When they moved to America, they had dreams of Opportunity and wealth to support their families. Many families found these opportunities and succeeded in their American Dream. Their lives were richer and happier than before. Others did not reach their goals, but still held tight to their American Dream of â€Å"the land of Opportunity. Today, people’s dreams of what America is to them has changed once again. Today, many parents have the dream for a better family life than they had. Family life has changed. Many people are getting divorces and having stepchildren. These children have grown up with the American Dream of providing a better Family life by financially supporting them better, spending more time with them, and expressing their love more readily. e first use of the phrase â€Å"American Dream† was in James Truslow Adams’s 1931 book THE EPIC OF AMERICA. Of course, Adams was merely naming a thread in American history that stretched from the City on a Hill to Gold Mountain. But today some critics have charged the dream has become purely materialistic while others see its reach limited to a lucky few. Several years ago The Fetzer Institute, a funder of BILL MOYERS JOURNAL, set out on a quest to reassess the definition of The American Dream asking: Is the American Dream a vision or an illusion? Does social change depend on personal change? What values should the U. S. demonstrate in today’s world? Are there ways to think beyond geographic boundaries toward a common dream for our world? BILL MOYERS JOURNAL joins with The Fetzer Institute in continuing this inquiry in a special online feature. We’re asking our guests and our viewers what is their vision for the future of the American Dream ,and how we can achieve those visions. Many people have their own American Dream which have become their driving force and center of their life. However, not everyone can achieve their American Dream; it depends on many factors, such as income inequality, unstable social-welfare system, and different races. Based on the situation, Paul Krugman, the economic teacher at Princeton and the winner of Economics of the Nobel Prize in 2008, Tamara Draut, the director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, and The Economist, a Landon-based weekly publication that read by business, political and financial decision makers, all of them state a common point that it is harder and harder for people to achieve the American Dream now. The American Dream was not founded based on a person’s wealth. It means achieving a better life based on the merits of a person’s thrift, hard work, intelligence and contribution to the community of all Americans. In other words, the American dream is defined that people can change the standard of their living through their own effort. At the first view, the American Dream seems easy to achieve. realatity it is different in my personal experience American Dream is hard to reach you have to work hard and when you work several year you can have an stable jo How to cite American Dream, Papers American Dream Free Essays The American Dream in the 1 sass muff have to forget about what other people say, when you’re supposed to die, or when you’re supposed to be loving. You have to forget about all these things. You have to go on and be crazy. We will write a custom essay sample on American Dream or any similar topic only for you Order Now Craziness Is Like heaven,† said Jell Hendrix (Hagen 55) . Jim Hendrix along with many other Americans wanted to live a life full of peace, freedom, and happiness. One thing was certain, America changed In the asses and along with it, so did the American Dream. The American Dream in the asses was viewed differently among each and every individual, but generally was perceived as owe people set out to find their own personal state of happiness, peace, and freedom. Culture in the asses represented how freedom, peace, and happiness all started to expand. Various songs were written and played that showed the image of being happy and free. â€Å"Go Tell It On The Mountain,† written by George Huff portrays how simple life should be and that you should express the joy and happiness you come by in life. Let it Be,† by the Battles shows how to Just let stuff go in life. In the 1 sass, the American people did not let the little things get to them and Interrupt their path to happiness and success. They Just â€Å"Let It Be. † The song â€Å"We Shall Overcome† by Charles Talented gives an example of how African American and people of different races and minorities wanted to be treated. The lyrics â€Å"We shall all be free so meday’ (Tinselly) proved that freedom wanted to be obtained. They did not want to be treated unfairly anymore. Equality is all that was desired. We’ll walk hand in hand some day,† shows how once African Americans obtained freedom, they achieved happiness. They ultimately did this through the Civil Rights Movement. The clothing of the general man or women changed and led them to express themselves little more. Men started wearing penny loafers without socks, had crew cuts and very rarely had long hair (Jostles). â€Å"My friends dressed more preppy and were all about impressing the ladles† (Steely). The men set themselves out to try to get a girl to notice them, resulting In happiness. The clothing of women also changed a lot In the asses. They wore a lot of saddle shoes, plaid skirts, and dressed Like the typical Oxford women (Jostles). Just like the men, women set themselves out to look different. â€Å"l remember driving around town in my dad’s new Chevy with my friends trying to impress all the ladies. I felt happy and free knowing that nothing held me back† (Jostles). Hippies were truly unique in the way they set out to look different while trying to rebel against the normal and show that they have freedom. Some form of tie-dye was part of their everyday attire (Cell. Tie-dye was not worn nearly as much until the hippies started wearing it. The way hippies lived also rebelled against the culture of the asses. Men grew long hair and beards, while women wore peasant dresses and love beads (Cell). Women used birth-control pills, which allowed them to experiment sexually for the first time in an era before AIDS (Cell). The lifestyle that hippies live d were certainly different, but while living that lifestyle, they attained all parts of the American Dream In the sixties: peace, freedom, and happiness. Political events In the asses demonstrated the fight for freedom. John F. Kennedy wanted to hold truth to his words, and fight for what he believed in. Kennedy promised rights time for greatness† (Carats 45) was Kennedy’s campaign slogan. He used that slogan because he felt like he could make the sixties a memorable decade full of [peace, freedom, and happiness. Kennedy’s main focus was on standing up for blacks rights Carats 45). He held his promise of his campaign by working on the civil rights bill. The bill led to social equality and ultimately freedom among the black and white races (Carats 45). Homosexuals also fought to be treated equally and not to be judged. The gay liberation movement in the sixties urged lesbians and gay men to come out by revealing their sexuality to family, friends and colleagues as a form of activism, and to counter shame with gay pride (Tompkins 22). When the Stonewall riots occurred in 1969, the police stormed into a gay bar in New York City to break up the gathering (Tompkins 22). The people protested and three days of riots occurred (Tompkins 23). After some days of cooling off, the gays finally started to feel recognized. Homosexuals felt a sense of peace and pride. The civil rights movement was a fight to get full equality for all American people. With the division of blacks and whites in public, the passing of the civil rights act was very necessary. Once the act was passed, blacks and other minorities were finally able to do activities without being biblically separated. Social events in the asses helped individuals achieve their dream of finding freedom, peace, and happiness. The hippies were the first to take a risk to find their own happiness, peace, and freedom. Hippies lived a laid back lifestyle in which they separated themselves from the world and did not associate with the public much (Cell). Hippies were all about expressing themselves. â€Å"Hippie innovations such as organic health food, environmentalism and a relaxed society was how they set out to be different† (Cell). Hippies used all different kinds of drugs. From alcohol, marijuana, and LSI to heroin and amphetamines, hippies would do whatever it took to make them feel peaceful and happy, or â€Å"high† (Hippie Drugs). Women fighting for their rights also showed that freedom was a big part of the asses, and along with freedom came peace and happiness. Women wanted to have the same equality as men. The feminist movement of the asses originally focused on dismantling workplace inequality, such as denial of access to better Jobs and salary inequity, via anti-discrimination laws (Tavern). The 19th amendment gives American women the right to vote (Our Documents). This was a small step taken in the asses by the government to try to enable women to have the same equality as men. The omen wanted the government to do more, such as Rosa Parks, who was an avid civil rights activist (Tompkins. ) Parks did all that she could to give women the freedom and happiness that they wanted. Relationships in the asses allowed for men and women to achieve happiness with one another which led to peace and freedom. Marriages were very common in the sixties. In the average household, men usually worked in some kind of mill, usually steel mills, and women stayed at home and were completely fine with it. Other women wanted to work, which goes back to the Civil Rights act. The main problem with women wanting to work at the time was that most people did not think that women could both have a successful full time Job, but also manage to control and support their family (Cocoon). Technology in the asses was not an issue. Relationships were generally strong and there was no such thing as social media or cell phones for people to cheat or flirt on one another with. Speeches and that they wanted, which ultimately changed history forever. Ma famous, â€Å"l Have a Dream†, speech fought for his freedom and the African-Americans. The Birmingham protest, led also by Martin he campaign of nonviolent directed actions culminated in wide confrontations between black youth and white civic authorities, the municipal government to change the city’s discrimination la was Jailed for several reason but mainly injustice. L am in Brim cell today because of injustice† (King). â€Å"Whatever affects one dir indirectly’ (King). King’s remarks are very true. All the African-A southern states wanted was equality, but it did not come easily. Nation, but ultimately they got the happiness and sense of peace being equal and free. Martin Luther King Jar ’s â€Å"l Have a Dream,† s he thoughts of many people in the asses regarding equality. â€Å"l my four little children will one day live in a nation where they WI the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I ha today’ (King). Having a dream for equality is exactly what Martin wanted. Skin color is meaningless, character is what makes up a comes with a great sense of happiness and freedom. Kings seep difference that led to the happiness of African-Americans (Costs novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, represented how many individuals in the court system in the asses. â€Å"You aren’t really a Niger-love certainly am. I do my best to love everybody’ (Lee 112-113). Scow father, Tactics, in the middle of the book because she did not u being the lawyer for a black man. The theme of the novel was a and how Tom Robinson was not given a fair trial. Tactics was in and was criticized greatly. In conclusion, Hippies, the Civil Rights Movement, and Martin Luther King Jar’s speech all led to the American people attaining personal happiness, freedom, and a sense of peace. Hippies tested out different ways of life which led to them being happy. The Civil Rights movement led for African-Americans to be treated equally and have freedom. Kings speech helped African-Americans obtain freedom as well. The American Dream in the asses was viewed differently among each and every individual, but generally was perceived as how people set out to find their own How to cite American Dream, Papers American Dream Free Essays OVERCOMING OBSTACLES OF THE AMERICAN DREAM In the literatures we have read this semester all of the characters have a dream that consists of a plan and multiple goals that sum up to the American Dream, however, there have been obstacles that sometimes hinder these American dreams. These obstacles range from internal conflict to society itself. The question is if it is possible for these characters to struggle with obstacles and overcome them to reach their dream? In â€Å"Step Children of a Nation† Isabel Gonzalez explains how the probabilities for Mexican-Americans in America during the mid 20th century for achieving the American Dream were very slim due to the obstacles that were presented by society (Gonzalez 162). We will write a custom essay sample on American Dream or any similar topic only for you Order Now Pedro Pietri details in the â€Å"Puerto Rican Obituary† the personal struggles endured by five Puerto Ricans in New York while attempting to achieve the American Dream (Pietri 212). We have no choice but to accept the standard of the United States and act in accordance with the society expectations as we see Ysreal do in Junot Diaz’ â€Å"No Face† (Diaz 417). Each character in these texts has the opportunity of success and only those who are willing to make a persistent and consistent effort will be able to achieve their dream despite their own personal struggles and the obstacles presented by society. Even though there are many obstacles to achieving this dream, it isn’t impossible for it to become a reality. The Mexican-Americans in Step Children of a nation lacked the ambition needed to achieve the American Dream. The most difficult obstacles to overcome are those presented by society. Isabel Gonzalez states what life was like for Mexican Americans trying to achieve the American Dream in the mid 20th century under poor living conditions and economic exploitation. These characters acculturated to the American lifestyle and the non citizens had the desire to become citizens. In fact they supported World War II (Leal) and Gonzalez noted that: It is a well known fact that the number of war casualties among the Mexican-American soldiers was very high in proportion to the population (Gonzalez , 163). But even after this the Anglo-Saxon society continued to discriminate and pursue segregation from their society. The Mexicans were forced to live in slums. During this time the homes these people lived in were hardly fit for animals and had no repairs in years but yet brought in income from Mexicans far beyond the value of the homes (Gonzalez , 165). They arrived in the United States believing a promise of personal economic growth (Aguilar), but instead came to live in substandard conditions with the hope of a better future for their children. Gonzalez states that industries have succeeded in keeping the Mexican the most underpaid and most oppressed worker so that they will always have a surplus of cheap labor (Gonzalez , 167). This economic exploitation caused the children to also have substandard education and health. These situations forced some of the characters to keep quiet due to fear of deportation and the reality of achieving the American Dream nearly impossible. But if these characters wouldn’t have overlooked the possibility of change and set aside their fear they would have been so much closer to achieving the American Dream. Another obstacle the characters from the texts we reviewed in class had to overcome was their own personal oppressions. In â€Å"Puerto Rican Obituary†, Pietri talks about 5 characters: Juan/ Miguel/ Milagros/ Olga/ Manuel and their daily struggles as a Nuyorican (Monthly Review Foundation) who didn’t accept the standards of the United States. These Nuyoricans were motivated to immigrate to this country by the American dream which turned into a nightmare presented as death. They were divided between two cultures and two languages. Juan/ Miguel/ Milagros/ Olga/ Manuel are attempting to live as a â€Å"gringo†. Their unfortunate situation is that as they attempt to leave behind their language they are also leaving behind their identity (Brook). And as they realize this they are torn between the dream and the nightmare. They feel overworked and underpaid. All died/ dreaming about america/ waking them up in the middle of the night/ screaming: Mira Mira/ your name is on the winning lottery ticket/ for one hundred thousand dollars (Pietri 36-41) The characters in this text believed they can achieve the American Dream by something simpler like winning the lottery. But by believing this almost impossible wish their dream becomes a nightmare which is reflected as their death. They dream of belonging to a community of â€Å"clean-cut lily-white neighborhood/ Puerto Ricanless scenes† and being â€Å"the first spics on the block† where â€Å"gringos want them lynched† (215). By not being able to accomplish this dream the â€Å"puertorriquenos† find themselves shut out of America’s economic opportunities and lifestyle, and realize that they are unemployed, living on welfare, bitter, and degraded. This situation leads to the death of their American dream along with their dignity; therefore the characters in this text do not achieve the American dream. Ysrael is a child with a disfigured face who knows all too well the difference between the nightmare and dream. He is a child that has accepted the fact that he has to wear a mask in public to be accepted in his community. He compares himself to Kaliman. Ysrael’s superpower is the power of INVISBILITY (Diaz , 418). He dreams of escaping Dominican Republic and going â€Å"up north† and has hopes that the doctor will fix him. In the end of the story Ysrael has to make sure to wear his mask when his father comes out but doesn’t have to worry when he’s around his mother. All of this symbolizes the life of an immigrant attempting to achieve the American Dream (Alford). Ysreal’s disfigured face is the life the immigrants have in their country of origin. The surgery that the doctor and the priest promise is the American Dream. The mask is the sacrifices the immigrants make by acculturating to the American society. The superpower of invisibility represents how people are obligated to put themselves out of sight from society when they do not act according to society’s expectations. When Diaz mentions that Ysrael wants to go â€Å"up north† he is referring to the United States. Also the father is stands for the American culture (where Ysrael always has to wear his mask) and the mother represents his own culture or his identity. The boys who throw rocks at him and the cleaning lady represent the obstacles the immigrants must surpass to achieve their dream. In this text Ysrael does achieve the American Dream because he has accepted the fact that he has to wear his mask in front of his father and when he goes out in public. But at the same time he does not lose his identify because those who are around him remind him of how his face became disfigured over and over again (Diaz , 419). Pietri talks about all the obstacles the characters face while attempting to achieve the American dream but if Juan/ Miguel/ Milagros/ Olga/ Manuel would have accepted the standards of society in the United States or if the Mexicans in â€Å"Step Children of a Nation† would have been more ambitious like Ysrael in â€Å"No Face† their nightmare could have converted back to the dream they immigrated to the United States for. So to answer the question if is possible for these characters to struggle with obstacles and overcome them to reach their dream the answer is only if they were all as ambitious, persistent, and committed as Ysrael. The character Ysrael did not let his disfigured face or his father hold him back from achieving his dream. Ysrael had people yell out to him â€Å"No Face† but yet he continues his path to his set goal. He was determined to be persistent and consistent in pursuing his dream. Works Cited Aguilar, Mario E. From Immigrant Ousiders to Indigenous Tribal – National Identities. Web. 09 June 2011. Alford, William. Junot Diaz’s Drown — Sex, Race and Power. 10 Feb 2005. Web. 08 June 2011. Brook, Elizabeth. Nuyroican Newness. 2010 11 May. Web. 08 June 2011. Diaz, Junot. â€Å"No Face. † Herencia: The Anthology of Hispanic Literature of the United States. Ed. Nicolas Kanellos. New York: Oxford Press, 2002. 417-420. Print. Gonzalez, Isabel. â€Å"Step Children of a Nation. † Herencia: The Anthology of Hispanic Literature of the United States. Ed. Nicolas Kanellos. New York: Oxford Press, 2002. 162-170. Print. Leal, David A. â€Å"American Public Opinion. † October 2005. webspace. utexas. edu. Web. 08 June 2011. Monthly Review Foundation. Monthly Review: Puerto Rican Obituary. 01 June 2004. Web. 08 June 2011. Pietri, Pedro. â€Å"Puerto Rican Obituary. † Herencia: The Anthology of Hispanic Literature of the United State s. Ed. Nicolas Kanellos. New York: Oxford Press, 2002. 212-220. Print. How to cite American Dream, Papers American Dream Free Essays Capitalism and its values revolve around material possessions and their acquisition. In this society, the poor man strives to be rich, and a powerless man to gain power. Many of these people however don’t have access to these privileges, and so to be one of the few taking the limited seats of wealth and power they compete, most often times against each other. We will write a custom essay sample on American Dream or any similar topic only for you Order Now Such environments are not only often times promote conflict but confrontation as well, and many times the winners of these altercations are relishing in â€Å"The American Dream† While capitalism promotes the belief that this dream is achievable, it is more often than not, a literal dream, and leaves its pursuers poor, and weak. This keeps the working class powerless, and pacified to propagate capitalistic values. Clean cut examples of this are cases in such societies where people do not have the chance to advance but have the chance to succeed. A strange position that seems to contradict a culture that’s â€Å"Dream† is to be powerful and wealthy at he top of the ladder. Many people in these positions only perceive themselves to be succeeding but in actuality, they are failing at achieving what they most desire, and not Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a German philosopher and economist, who was not a self-proclaimed sociologist. Although Marx did not consider himself a sociologist, he had a profound impact on historical and contemporary sociological thought. Max Weber (1864-1920) was a German sociologist and scientist who also had a profound impact on sociology. Both of these men will continue to be in Sociological teachings for many years to come. Weber had a major influence on the Conflict Theory. The Conflict Theory is one of the major sociological models for understanding the social world. The Conflict Theory has three components: The first component is that conflict is a common and ongoing feature of society. In fact conflict is the most basic feature of social life. The second component is that society is made-up of various social groups who have conflicting values and interests. Finally, the third component states that all societal conflict occurs between dominant and subordinate social groups who are in competition over resources. The â€Å"conflict perspective†, was developed in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and is primarily associated with both Karl Marx and Max Weber Karl Marx used two groups in the conflict theory. The Capitalist class owns and controls the means of production, while they also see the distribution of the goods or services. The Capitalist class is also known as the dominant group. His second class, the working class, are the people who provide the labor necessary to produce the goods and services. The dominant Group is the capitalists and the subordinate group is the working class. Max Weber also asserted that society is an â€Å"arena† of conflict and struggle† over resources between dominant and subordinate groups. But unlike Marx, Weber argues that there are many â€Å"status† groups in a society which possess varying degrees of social power. So according to Weber there are many groups, unlike Marx who believed there were two groups, the capitalist and the working group. Weber believed that power played a role in politics, ethnicity, gender, and religion. We in America and else where have dominant and subordinate groups. The dominant groups have power and wealth while the subordinate groups are just working class citizens contributing to the wealth of the capitalists. But this is a capitalist society so who can expect anything different. As I stated earlier, the basis of Marx perspective is true. But Weber’s perspective is obviously true as well as more specific. They are basically powerless and apart of many subordinate groups. The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, â€Å"life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement† regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. [1] The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the United States Declaration of Independence which proclaims that â€Å"all men are created equal† and that they are â€Å"endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights† including â€Å"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. â€Å" The ethos today simply indicates the ability, through participation in the society and economy, for everyone to achieve prosperity. According to the dream, this includes the opportunity for one’s children to grow up and receive a good education and career without artificial barriers. It is the opportunity to make individual choices without the prior restrictions that limited people according to their class, caste, religion, race, or ethnicity. Immigrants to the United States sponsored ethnic newspapers in their own language; the editors typically promoted the American Dream. 4] Ownby (1999) identifies four American Dreams that the new consumer culture addressed. The first was the â€Å"Dream of Abundance† offering a cornucopia of material goods to all Americans, making them proud to be the richest society on earth. The second was the â€Å"Dream of a Democracy of Goods† whereby everyone had access to the same products regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or cla ss, thereby challenging the aristocratic norms of the rest of the world whereby only the rich or well-connected are granted access to luxury. The â€Å"Dream of Freedom of Choice† with its ever expanding variety of good allowed people to fashion their own particular lifestyle. Finally, the â€Å"Dream of Novelty†, in which ever-changing fashions, new models, and unexpected new products broadened the consumer experience in terms of purchasing skills and awareness of the market, and challenged the conservatism of traditional society and culture, and even politics. Ownby acknowledges that the dreams of the new consumer culture radiated out from the major cities, but notes that they quickly penetrated the most rural and most isolated areas, such as rural Mississippi. With the arrival of the model T after 1910, consumers in rural America were no longer locked into local general stores with their limited merchandise and high prices in comparison to shops in towns and cities. Ownby demonstrates that poor black Mississippians shared in the new consumer culture, both inside Mississippi, and it motivated the more ambitious to move to Memphis or Chicago The aspirations of the â€Å"American dream† in the broad sense of upward mobility has been systematically spread to other nations since the 1890s as American missionaries and businessmen consciously sought to spread the Dream, says Rosenberg. Looking at American business, religious missionaries, philanthropies, Hollywood, labor unions and Washington agencies, she says they saw their mission not in catering to foreign elites but instead reaching the world’s masses in democratic fashion. â€Å"They linked mass production, mass marketing, and technological improvement to an enlightened democratic spirit†¦. In the emerging litany of the American dream what historian Daniel Boorstin later termed a â€Å"democracy of things† would disprove both Malthus’s predictions of scarcity and Marx’s of class conflict. † It was, she says â€Å"a vision of global social progress. [41] Rosenberg calls the overseas version of the American Dream â€Å"liberal-developmentalism† and identified five critical components: â€Å"(1) belief that other nations could and should replicate America’s own developmental experience; (2) faith in private free enterprise; (3) support for free or open acce ss for trade and investment; (4) promotion of free flow of information and culture; and (5) growing acceptance of [U. S. ] governmental activity to protect private enterprise and to stimulate and regulate American participation in international economic and cultural exchange. 42] â€Å"That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for every man, with opportunity for each according to his ability or achievement. † The first use of the phrase â€Å"American Dream† was in James Truslow Adams’s 1931 book THE EPIC OF AMERICA. Of course, Adams was merely naming a thread in American history that stretched from the City on a Hill to Gold Mountain. But today some critics have charged the dream has become purely materialistic — while others see its reach limited to a lucky few. Several years ago The Fetzer Institute, a funder of BILL MOYERS JOURNAL, set out on a quest to reassess the definition of The American Dream asking: Is the American Dream a vision or an illusion? Does social change depend on personal change? What values should the U. S. demonstrate in today’s world? Are there ways to think beyond geographic boundaries toward a common dream for our world? A website run by the federal government (â€Å"WelcomeToUSA. govâ€Å") encourages new immigrants to the United States to apply for welfare benefits. This website is run by the Department of Homeland Security and it says that it â€Å"is the U. S. Government’s official web portal for new immigrants. † So your tax dollars were used to build and maintain a website that teaches immigrants how to come into this country and sponge a living off of federal welfare programs paid for by your tax dollars. What in the world is happening to us? Yes, we will always need some legal immigration. We are a nation of immigrants and immigration has been very good to this country. But at a time when there are millions upon millions of American citizens out of work and at a time when we are absolutely drowning in debt, do we really need to encourage millions more immigrants to come over and take advantage of our overloaded social welfare programs? WelcomeToUSA. gov actually encourages new immigrants to apply for food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, Supplemental Security Income and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Of course not all immigrants are eligible for all of those programs, but if an immigrant can get over to the U. S. nd just get signed up for a couple of programs they can enjoy a higher standard of living doing nothing here than they can working at a low paying job back home. We have created a perverse system of incentives that makes it very attractive to people all over the world to do whatever they can to hitch a ride on â€Å"the gravy train† and take advantage of all of the benefits that they possibly can. And once immig rants get on welfare, many of them never leave. For example, one study discovered that 43 percent of all immigrants who have been in the United States for at least 20 years were still on welfare. We can’t even take care of our own citizens, and yet more immigrants hop on to the safety net every single day. At some point the safety net is going to break and then we won’t even be able to take care of the struggling Americans that really need it. (Read More†¦.. ) The Protestant work ethic (or the Puritan work ethic) is a concept in theology, sociology, economics and history which emphasizes hard work, frugality and prosperity as a display of a person’s salvation in the Christian faith. The phrase was initially coined in 1904 by Max Weber in his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. 1] It is argued that Protestants, beginning with Martin Luther, had reconceptualised worldly work as a duty which benefits both the individual and society as a whole. Thus, the Catholic idea of good works was transformed into an obligation to work diligently as a sign of grace. Whereas Catholicism teaches that good works are required of Catholics to be saved (viewing salvation as a future event), the Reformers taught that good works were only a consequence of an already-received salvation. However, the Calvinist theologians taught that only those who were predestined (cf. he Calvinist concept of double predestination) to be saved would be saved. Since it was impossible to know who was predestined, the notion developed that it might be possible to discern that a person was elect (predestined) by observing their way of life. Hard work and frugality were thought to be two important consequences of being one of the elect; thus, Protestants were attracted to these qualities. According to Weber (1904, 1905), it was John Calvin who introduced the theological doctrines which combined with those of Martin Luther to form a significant new attitude toward work. Calvin was a French theologian whose concept of predestination was revolutionary. Central to Calvinist belief was the Elect, those persons chosen by God to inherit eternal life. All other people were damned and nothing could change that since God was unchanging. While it was impossible to know for certain whether a person was one of the Elect, one could have a sense of it based on his own personal encounters with God. Outwardly the only evidence was in the person’s daily life and deeds, and success in one’s worldly endeavors was a sign of possible inclusion as one of the Elect. A person who was indifferent and displayed idleness was most certainly one of the damned, but a person who was active, austere, and hard-working gave evidence to himself and to others that he was one of God’s chosen ones (Tilgher, 1930). Calvin taught that all men must work, even the rich, because to work was the will of God. It was the duty of men to serve as God’s instruments here on earth, to reshape the world in the fashion of the Kingdom of God, and to become a part of the continuing process of His creation (Braude, 1975). Men were not to lust after wealth, possessions, or easy living, but were to reinvest the profits of their labor into financing further ventures. Earnings were thus to be reinvested over and over again, ad infinitum, or to the end of time (Lipset, 1990). Using profits to help others rise from a lessor level of subsistence violated God’s will since persons could only demonstrate that they were among the Elect through their own labor (Lipset, 1990). Selection of an occupation and pursuing it to achieve the greatest profit possible was considered by Calvinists to be a religious duty. Not only condoning, but encouraging the pursuit of unlimited profit was a radical departure from the Christian beliefs of the middle ages. In addition, unlike Luther, Calvin considered it appropriate to seek an occupation which would provide the greatest earnings possible. If that meant abandoning the family trade or profession, the change was not only allowed, but it was considered to be one’s religious duty (Tilgher, 1930). The norms regarding work which developed out of the Protestant Reformation, based on the combined theological teachings of Luther and Calvin, encouraged work in a chosen occupation with an attitude of service to God, viewed work as a calling and avoided placing greater spiritual dignity on one job than another, approved of working diligently to achieve maximum profits, required reinvestment of profits back into one’s business, allowed a person to change from the craft or profession of his father, and associated success in one’s work with the likelihood of being one of God’s Elect. The American Dream is an idea that has been preached to young Americans and immigrants almost since the Industrial Revolution. America is viewed, around the world, as a place where if a person works hard enough, then their life as well as their family’s lives will improve. Meaning that if you have a strong work ethic, that you’ll get where you want to go in life. We’ve all heard those stories about immigrants coming from their poor countries, and working in a factory to provide a better life for their families. This idea has been nostalgically represented by the house in the suburbs with a white picket fence, a car, a wife, and two children. The idea that â€Å"the American Dream is possible† seems to be the prevailing ideology of most Americans and certainly most immigrants. This idea is spread throughout the US education system, and is spread to other countries by immigrants returning home. We all are pushed to strive to attain the American Dream. For the most part, we all seem to have the notion that no matter where you start out, through hard work, you can improve your life and even become wealthy. But is this idea just myth and illusion for the lower classes? Edmond Burke argued that myth and illusion is necessary to keep the lower classes content with their meager lives, and to convince them to not go against traditional ways. In addition to the house with the white picket fence, the American Dream conjures the image of a lower class person toiling away in a factory or office for hours in order to collect a pay check. They may work long and hard hours now, but it all pays off in the end because they have improved their situation. They don’t mind putting in the work because they know it will benefit them in the end. But is the American Dream an example of bourgeoisie propaganda? Karl Marx argued that the bourgeoisie would use propaganda to keep the proletariat from starting an uprising. This propaganda would prevent the proletariat from noticing that they are being exploited; therefore, they would not want to start an uprising. My answer to both the Burke and Marx questions is yes. The American Dream is clearly a form of both myth and illusion and propaganda used by the upper classes to keep the lower classes in their place. They promise workers that they’ll eventually make minor gains financially for their current suffering. It is used to distract people from how bad their lives reall are, and to prevent an uprising. Basically, what the upper class is saying is, â€Å"How about I exploit you today, so that you might be able to improve your life? You should work really hard for me so that you can move up in the world. † The American Dream in our society places a large emphasis on hard work and determination, which can then lead to economic and social success. This success can allow individuals to create a home and provide a better future for one’s loved ones. This notion of the American Dream has been promoted ever since the establishment of the United States, creating a sense of meritocracy in our society. However, due to the rise of capitalism and the influence of â€Å"bourgeois ideology†, that notion of the â€Å"American Dream† has all but deteriorated. Elite capitalists in our society have attempted to capitalize on our society’s obsession with the accumulation of wealth, in which the end result has been a substantial disparity of wealth between the elite few and the rest of society. Karl Marx an influential political economist believed that capitalism and its effects would create a massive class struggle that would eventually lead to large-scale crisis. Karl Marx would conceptualize this notion of the American dream as a product of â€Å"bourgeois ideology†, one that places false hope among the working-class of our society. The American Dream’s current emphasis on home ownership has a direct correlation with the rise of capitalism in our society. Capitalism places an emphasis on borrowing capital in order to amass more capital; this emphasis however has created an influx of debt to increase substantially, allowing individuals to invest their life savings and future income into a home. According to Marx, the bourgeoisie shapes this obsession of accumulating wealth and home ownership, principles that the elite class holds in high regard. The upper class’ values and ideals in a capitalist society tend to become that society’s hegemonic values as well. Since the bourgeoisie own the means of production, their best interests are always prioritized. Therefore capitalists (bourgeoisie) make decisions that will solely benefit them, neglecting the well being of others. Amassing capital has become a value of large significance in our present society. This obsession with the accumulation of wealth has created a shift in our American Dream. It was once truly based on creating better opportunities for one’s family and creating a better future. Unfortunately this has completely changed to one of owning property, and amassing as much capital as possible. This has allowed capitalists to try to extract as much surplus value from their workers in order to gain as much profit as possible. This extraction of â€Å"free labor† as Marx called it has created high levels of exploitation towards the working class. The working class in recent years has not been able to amass wealth due to their poor relationship with the means of production. The Proletariat class has had to deal with stagnant wages while the amount of labor expected from them rises exponentially. Capitalism and its boom and bust tendencies cannot even promise the working class the small compensation that they receive from such a flawed system. This creates alienation within the working-class according to Marx. These individuals are not able to achieve their â€Å"American Dream† mainly because the elite capitalists make large-scale decisions with only their best interests in mind. As a result, the working class becomes alienated with the process of labor, the product they are producing, their natural ability to produce, and most importantly they become alienated with each other. The working class has started to believe according to Marx that they are not able to truly move up the social ladder based on their hard work and achievements. This creates dissension amongst classes and further intensifies the class struggle that Marx believes is a consequence of capitalism. This dissension and exploitation creates class-consciousness for the working class, in which they notice that their hard work is not accounted for anything since they are not the owners of the means of production. This consciousness is heavil y prevalent in today’s society, as various forms of protest throughout the world have been ignited due to the exploitation that many individuals have had to deal with due to the poor decisions that our elite capitalists and leaders have made. This class-consciousness is what ignited the â€Å"Occupy† movements throughout the United States and now throughout the world. Individuals around the world are now fed-up with not being able to achieve their own dreams since this disparity of wealth has created worse economic and social conditions for the rest of society. This specialization within individuals has only intensified this class struggle, further developing this division of labor. Emile Durkheim would reject this notion that the division of labor has ruined the â€Å"American Dream†. Durkheim sees the division of labor as a means of organic solidarity in our society, allowing individuals to specialize in acts of labor according to their skill set. Durkheim would believe that the â€Å"American Dream† is very much alive, but that debt has become criminalized in our society. Too much emphasis is being put on the influx of debt, and not much is being used on how organic solidarity can perhaps allow us to help each other and relieve one another from such dire conditions. Credit according to Durkheim would be something sacred, as it can allow individuals to amass more wealth. This wealth can allow the business cycle to continue, further injecting the money supply and creating a positive chain of economic events. Durkheim would not agree with Marx in that the American Dream is just an injection of â€Å"Bourgeoisie ideology†. The American Dream is something sacred that can be achieved through collective means. Owning a home creates social solidarity amongst individuals according to Durkheim, allowing individuals to have a common objective. Max Weber would disagree with both theorists, as he would blame the deterioration of the â€Å"American Dream† on increased emphasis on rationalization. This emphasis on rationalization has made efficiency the most important aspect of amassing wealth. Capitalists are being inclined to making decisions on what is in their best interests, neglecting the values and beliefs of the workers and the citizens of that country. This often creates an iron cage in which decisions are being made to benefit one’s likeliness in succeeding. This rationalization along with the rise of the protestant ethic, has led to this obsession with the accumulation wealth and owning a home in the United States. The Protestant ethic would be Weber’s main reason as to why the â€Å"American Dream† is so important, but would not provide answers as to why its likeliness to be achieved is continually fading. Although each theorist is subjective in their analysis of the â€Å"American Dream†, each does provide their own unique perspective in terms of explaining why things occur in society, and what shapes these events. As a scholar, I truly believe that Marx’s ideology fits the deterioration of the â€Å"American Dream† better. Marx in his Economic Manuscripts of 1804 and through the words of Stuart Easterling, believed that â€Å"capitalism is an economic system that is inherently crisis-prone. It is driven by forces, which cause it to be unstable, anarchic, and self-destructive† (Easterling). Karl Marx’s Economic Manuscripts of 1804 and The Communist Manifesto, give us a foreshadowing of capitalisms flawed nature, and how it can ruin things in society such as individuals hope to achieve an â€Å"American Dream†. What I gathered from reading from Karl Marx is mainly that value is determined by the labor put into it, and the rarity of the object. Humans make something valuable or not based on the perceived effort put into it, not necessarily the actual effort. Regarding the â€Å"magnitudes of value† mentioned in the article, I found that rarity is a huge factor in defining something as â€Å"valuable†. For example, we value an ounce of gold so much more than a pound of iron, even though you can do more with iron. Marx states, â€Å"the determination of the magnitude of value by labor-time is therefore a secret hidden under the apparent movements in the relative values of commodities†. In short, if the ‘thing’ makes life easier for people, it is worth more to them. It’s worth can completely disregard the labor-time or quantity of the object, in order for its convenience to namely be the ‘value’. People will spend more on a labor intensive item than an easier to make item. For example, people will pay $20 for a knit wool sweater and $3 on a can opener, without thinking about the resources being use How to cite American Dream, Essay examples