WHAT IS THE AMERICAN DREAM THE AMERICAN DREAM

WHAT IS THE AMERICAN DREAM?

THE AMERICAN DREAM • It is doubted that any one person can take credit for coining this phrase. • It almost certainly appeared in print as long ago as the classic study of 19 th Century America by Alexis de Tocqueville in 1835. • The phrase may well have appeared even earlier in the writings of Jefferson, Madison and others of the founding fathers. *What do you think was the founding father’s idea of the American Dream? life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

THE AMERICAN DREAM • James Truslow Adams, in his book The Epic of America, which was written in 1931, stated that the American dream is “that 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. ” • More recently (if you consider a little over 50 years recent), the phrase figured in the often-quoted speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , delivered in August of 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial: “I have a dream… It is a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream…I have a dream that one day in the red hills of Georgia, sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. ”

THREE ELEMENTS (BELIEFS) OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

THREE ELEMENTS(BELIEFS) OF THE AMERICAN DREAM • I. First, there is the idea of America as a new Eden (biblical allusion): a beautiful, bountiful, and rewarding land. • A place where anything is possible.

THREE ELEMENTS (BELIEFS) OF THE AMERICAN DREAM • II. The second element in the American dream is optimism in the future, justified by the ever-expanding opportunity and abundance that we have come to see as our birthright. • I am an American, I deserve the American dream!

THREE ELEMENTS (BELIEFS) OF THE AMERICAN DREAM • III. The third important element in the American dream, and an enduring subject of the American voice, has been a belief in the importance and ultimate triumph of the individual-independent, self-reliant person. • If I work hard for myself, I will get what I deserve; my fair share; my “due. ”

SO, THAT’S THE AMERICAN DREAM? SAME FOR EVERYBODY? NO VARIATIONS, DEVIATIONS, OR ABERRATIONS? DO YOU BELIEVE IN ALL THE EXACT SAME THINGS AS EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS CLASSROOM? OR THIS SCHOOL? OR THIS COUNTRY? OR THIS WORLD? DIDN’T THINK SO!

SO, WHAT IS THE AMERICAN DREAM? • Is it American’s hope for a better quality of life and a higher standard of living than their parents’? • Is it having two children and living in a perfect house with financial security? • The concept widely held in the United States of America, is that through hard work, courage and determination one can achieve prosperity. • But has the Dream Changed over time? Do people still believe in the American Dream?

SO, WHAT IS THE AMERICAN DREAM? • In the early 1900’s, the dream was rooted in the idea that if one worked hard and saved then one could achieve success and the dream.

• In the 50’s and 60’s, the dream was rooted in the idea that if one worked hard and saved then one could achieve success and the dream. • In the 80’s and 90’s, it became more materialistic and less about the ethical nature of the dream and more about simply getting ahead of the next guy. • What do you think it is about today?

Core Values of the American Dream • Dedication/sacrifice • Hard work • Conformity • Law and order • Honor • Respect for Authority • Patience • Delayed reward • Duty before pleasure • Adherence to rules

SO, WHAT IS THE AMERICAN DREAM? • What do you think the dream is about in the new millennium?

TODAY’S AMERICAN’S ARE: • Less Religious • One-in-four are unaffiliated with any religion, far more than the share of older adults when they were ages 18 to 29. • Less likely to join the military • 2% of males-are military veterans. At a comparable stage of their life cycle, 6% of Gen Xer men, 13% of Baby Boomer men and 24% of Silent men were veterans. • Expected to become the most educated generation in American history • Among 18 to 24 year olds a record share — 39. 6% — was enrolled in college as of 2008

Today’s Core Values • • Optimism Team orientation Personal gratification Health and wellness Technological Literacy Very aware of the world Connected to friends in new ways • Diverse • Personal growth • • Youth (do anything to keep it) Work Involvement High (Unreasonable) Expectations • Think people care about their ideas (Twitter/Status Updates) • Self-centered? • Disrespectful?

AMERICAN DREAM STUDY CREDIT. COM • Study found while 27. 9% of respondents see the American Dream as retiring at 65 and 18. 2% see it as owning a home, 23% view the American Dream as being debt-free. • At the height of the baby boom (60 years ago), USA Today published a poll in which 81% of young adults said getting rich was their top priority (and 51% gave the same priority to becoming famous) • When asked what financial goals are most important to respondents right now, being free of debt/credit card debt was at the top (33. 4% of responses)

MILLENNIALS’ PRIORITIES % SAYING _____ IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN THEIR LIVES. Becoming famous 1% Being a good parent Having a high-paying career 52% 15% Having a successful marriage Having lots of free time Helping others in need Living a very religious life Owning a home 30% 9% 21% 15% 20%

MERITOCRACY • a system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement; leadership selected on the basis of intellectual criteria