For participation, we will post a link by every Monday by 5 P.M. to a source (article, movie,
blog, etc) relating to either the class theme of the formation of the American Dream or your own individual research topic. Post a short summary of how the source relates to the aforementioned topic (1-2 sentences).
To
receive full credit for each response, please comment on at least
two of your classmates’ posts.
http://rethinkingprosperity.org/debt-and-the-american-dream/
ReplyDeleteMolly Leischner suggests that the American Dream has become much harder to achieve over the years due to the rise of college tuition. She states that people are coerced into pursuing degrees because the majority of employers these days require a college degree. Leischner goes on to say that America should give free education a chance because it would put the American Dream within reach of younger Americans. Leischner's belief is that this can be done by restructuring the current government education budget.
I think the idea of free education would highly benefit the attainability the traditional "American dream." Putting free education in place would be very difficult though. It would lead to the rise in taxes nation wide and maybe even make colleges increase the difficulty of their criteria to get accepted (because having money would no longer being a factor into getting in anymore).
DeleteI agree to a certain extent about what Molly is trying to interpret. It has been much harder because college tuition has been taking a huge part in everyday life of so many. Many are still stuck with debt as well. If the young work twice as hard, I think the American Dream would be achievable.
DeleteThis reminds me of a phrase I learned in my sociology class, Credential Inflation. This phases says how values of certain things have changed over time. For example, back then if you had a bachelor degree you would most likely get a job faster than someone who didn't have a degree but now we need a master or even PHD to get a better job. If education was free credential inflation will go even higher and the American Dream will be further than we think it is.
DeleteI identified most with Gabrielle Heinen-Kjajic's statement of Germany abolishing tuition fees to avoid "depending on the wealth of the parents" which is essentially what ends up happening after college graduates fail to get jobs, snowballing American families into more and more debt. The demand for a higher education is higher than ever but why should that mean the price has to be too?
DeleteI agree with this. I feel like if college students were more focused on education than having to pay back their debts, it would be easier for the American dream to be reached. Many students struggle paying off their college debt once they are done with school that some don't even make it to the careers they want to be in. I feel like if students are able to focus more on their success than their debts, the American Dream would be reached easier.
DeleteI agree with Leischner's suggestion on how to fix the American dream, but finding a way to incorporate free college education into the government's budget maybe be difficult.
DeleteMany people forgot there there are good paying jobs that don't require a college/university degree. Blue-collar jobs are very important to society and usually get overlooked. Since there are more people are are pursuing a college education there will be even more demand for essential blue-collar jobs like plumbers,electricians or mechanics. Just because these careers don't require a college education doesn't mean that these people are not educated. These careers require special degrees/certifications and are well paying.
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ReplyDeletehttp://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/04/what-is-the-american-dream
ReplyDeleteIn the article it states "We have nothing against successful careers or wealth or fame, but far more of us believe that the American Dream is about giving our kids a better life." this supports my belief of what i think the American Dream is. I found this short article to perfectly math my opinion.
I agree with you and the article that the American Dream is about giving our kids a life that surpasses our own. However I also believe that in order for us to provide our children with better lives, we need to have a successful career.
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DeleteI agree with this statement. Many families are believing more and more each day that the American Dream is about the future of their children. The motive behind many working parents are their children's success.
DeleteI agree with the article. Being able to give our kids the better life will let the family tree be able to rise in status and continue to have better lives.
DeleteI have always seen the basis of the American Dream revolving around social mobility and this idea of being able to give our kids better lives ties right into that basis.
DeleteI found this article vey interesting
Deletehttp://time.com/5074/millennials-put-their-surprising-stamp-on-the-american-dream/?iid=sr-link2
ReplyDeleteThis article is very informative to how our generation has changed the meaning of the American dream. "It seems the Great Recession left its mark. As a group, Millennials prize job mobility, flexible schedules, any work that is more interesting than punching a keyboard, and the ability to travel and be with friends." This quote portrays how our values have changed in result of what the previous generations have left us with economically.
I believe people still value the ability to travel and be with friends. But it seems that it is more common now for job mobility and flexible schedule.
DeleteI found the article to be very interesting
Deletehttp://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2016/02/03/even-americans-cant-afford-the-american-dream
ReplyDeleteThis news article was very informative. "But a new study suggests such a lifestyle is little more than a fantasy for most." This sentence is indeed a fact because there are so many people out there who are not living the lifestyle that they want and are struggling to be at where they want to be. There are many graphs, images, and statistics to prove their point of writing this article. "For example, the average Cuban national would need to see his or her salary multiply more than 95 times in order to live in a manner to which wealthier Americans are accustomed, according to TheRedPin's report."
I agree with the overall gist of the argument but I don't agree that the American dream is a "one size fits all" ideology.
DeleteI see the American Dream as an ability rather than a set lifestyle. It is proportional in that it is defined by the capacity to rise.
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DeleteI agree with the point of view in this article, the evidence is persuasive.
Deletehttps://thinkprogress.org/the-most-important-white-supremacist-of-2016-a3fa15b9896e#.s7o77mouj
ReplyDeleteIn this article, Rachel Cain talks about a White Supremacist and how white supremacy has changed over the years and it has become more influential than we thought. Matthew Heimbach, the white supremacist, claims he is not a racist but he does suggests that each race should have their own state and that all the race should live in different place. His suggestion reminds me of the time of segregation however this statement is for all race.
You made a good point in your argument. Matthew seems to be very controversial in this case. That is interesting; how so does this remind you of segregation?
Deletehttp://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/fewer-people-buying-homes-millennials-are-redefining-american-dream-n649476
ReplyDeleteIn this article, Nicole Audrey explains that even though the housing market and economy may not be as high as it once was, people are still working towards obtaining their own houses and living the American Dream. She says that people are searching for a "rise in entrepreneurship and looking to create the jobs they want and trying to balance it with a more idealized version of their lives instead of sticking with one company for 40 years and retiring to Florida with a comfortable pension." This line really spoke to me, and shows just how much time has truly changed.
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2016/02/03/even-americans-cant-afford-the-american-dream
ReplyDeleteThis article was about how our vision of the American Dream may be too expensive to reach. It made me reevaluate my original opinion of the American Dream. This article made me realize, maybe the American Dream isn't much alive as we thought. If we are in debt of trying to reach our goals and this American Dream life, then is it really still the American Dream?
This was a very interesting article. I especially appreciated the interactive model showing how much of your salary is needed to live in that country.
DeleteThis article was very informative on how the American dream is declining. All of the charts were a nice touch, when it comes to actually seeing how far Americans are from the American dream.
DeleteThe American dream is not too expensive in my opinion, rather it is the fact that opportunities leading the American dream is not distributed equally. The one percent will always get the larger share of the pie. By the way, very interesting article and the charts were very informative.
Deletei read the article as well and i also find it very interesting
DeleteI think the article clearly shows that more and more people can't even achieve their American dreams today.
DeleteI honestly believe this article speaks the truth for many families in society today.
DeleteI found many value points in this article
Deletehttps://onsizzle.com/i/a-picture-of-99-99999-of-american-households-as-the-national-2285417
ReplyDeleteI saw this picture while on social media the other day and I thought that although it's clearly an exaggeration, there's definitely some truth behind it. I interpreted this meme in a number of ways, it obviously had to do with the recent controversy with 49ers football player Colin Kaepernick and his refusal to stand for the pledge, meanwhile most Americans don't anyway. But I also considered how American culture holds professional athletes, or celebrities in general, at such high standards even when they themselves are not willing to meet those standards. Begging the question: would this have been so highly publicized in a different country?
I don't think the image given in the link was an exaggeration at all. When I watch a football game, I do not stand up for the anthem. If I am there physically, I definitely would. But also many others would not stand up in general because they believe they shouldn't have to.
DeleteI really just feel that the media finds many ways to call well known people out and to make a big deal out of things- but this is just in general. In terms of not standing up for the anthem, I believe that no one should be forced or criticized whether they do or don't. It is not anyone's place to make another person respect something they don't want to.
Deletehttp://theconversation.com/is-the-american-dream-dead-57095
ReplyDeleteThis article talks about how some Americans believe the dream is dead, and what's worse, that their status will only get worse. The graphs this article puts show the difference between the top 1% of the wealthy members of society and the rest of society. As we can see, the growth of the top 1% is increasing while the rest is barely moving. Now, their last resort which is security plans are being threatened. All these reasons pile up in believing the dream is dead. The Americans who do not believe consist of the middle class blame the politicians and government for changing policies.
http://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/012616/what-american-dream-2016.asp
ReplyDeleteIn this article, Sean Bryant talks about the changes of American dream from past to today. He shows those changes in education, employment, healthcare and retirement. He states "The American Dream today doesn’t include the 2.5 kids, dog, picket fence, and house in the suburbs. Instead, it focuses on eliminating worries rather than providing comforts." I think his claim really concludes the Amrican dream in today.
I like how he takes on a different point of view of how he thinks the "American Dream" is today.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs
ReplyDeleteAlways #LikeAGirl Campaign - 2014
This video has to do with gender norms in today's society. When thinking about sports or anything that seems "manly" for the majority of people saying the phrase "like a girl" is used as an insult. Women/girls can do things just as good as men/boys if not even better so using the phrase "like a girl" in a negative way makes absolutely no sense.
Gender inequality is a great topic to tackle. For one, society tend to have standards for both adults and kids when it comes to gender norms. For kids, society expect boys to play with male action figures and car toy, while girls will play barbie dolls. Toys are made for kids to enjoy and there shouldn't be rules to what toys are limited to which gender. At a young age, we can see that even kids are expose to gender norms
DeleteThat is so true, girls/women can do just as good as boys/ men can. For example, the women that play in the national soccer team for the United States, have won a few World Cups while the men's team have yet to win one. But the women are not acknowledge as much as the men but but they play just as good.
DeleteI will link an Article from the Journal of Applied Physiology that details some of the biology on this topic. This article details a study where 600+ men and woman (aged 20-93) were subjected to many phyical tests. Feel free to look at the findings.
Deletehttp://jap.physiology.org/content/83/5/1581.full
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ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rARN6agiW7o
ReplyDeleteMany of you might have read about "The Great Gatsby" by Scott Fitzgerald. This film and the book is a great portrayal of the American dream during the roaring twenties in America. Individuals with materialistic wealth would throw parties tuned to jazz songs in their beautiful mansion full of wealthy guests. The lives of these wealthy people were extremely flamboyant. The point about film is to convey how the American Dream was so easily achieved back in the 1900's. The protagonist, Jay Gatsby, who came from parents of farmers was able to become a wealthy man through hard work alone (selling liquor). Looking at the American Dream today, it is difficult to achieve this goal of monetary prosperity with just hard work alone. The American dream today requires hard work, creativity, and equal distribution of the opportunities to everyone.
I agree with the fact the American Dream was easier to achieve in the 1900's becasue of the fact there might not have been such a great gap between the social classes. Yes, the gap might have been there but it was not that much of an issue as it is today. The gap that is present makes it harder because those who are from low income families might be in debt and are just trying to get by. But as of today. The American Dream has become an unattainable thing for people who might be like Gatsby today.
DeleteI agree with the point you made about how the reach for the American Dream has evolved today. I would also like to add that although money is a huge bubble in the American Dream, so is the love life of Jay Gatsby. You should have also included that to fully relate to the American Dream.
DeleteThe most outrageous thing about the "American Dream" is, does it actually exist? A man who is passionate about the inequality and injustice towards the citizens of the United States also speaks out loud about the upcoming 2016 election, which I also find my self interested in researching about. Robert Reich recently talks about the upcoming election and why he believes that we should vote for Hilary.
ReplyDeletehttp://robertreich.org/
http://www.afropoets.net/mayaangelou19.html
ReplyDeleteThis poem is called "The Million Man March" by Maya Angelou. The poem is basically about how slavery and the bondage of it affects black people today, in America. Also, it talks about coming together has one and standing as a, united body of society, in order to reach the rights that should be given to everyone fairly. Overall, this poem speaks to all races because everyone needs to come together and be treated equally.
http://blog.oup.com/2014/07/questioning-american-dream/
ReplyDeleteThis blog titled "What is the American Dream?" by Mark Rank discusses his view on the American dream. He said that there are three concepts to the American dream; To have the freedom to pursue one's interests and passions in life, having the importance of economic security and well-being and lastly, having the hope and optimism to seeing progress in one's life. This blog relates to the aforementioned topic because it discusses what dozens of Americans define what their American dream as.
I completely agree with Rank's definition of the American Dream. Americans have the power to create whatever future lies ahead of them, and hope for the best.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtGbYi4KtlE
ReplyDeleteThis Youtube video "Second Chances: The CUNY Seek and College Discovery Story" is about college opportunities for low income students. At a certain extent, this video can be related to the American Dream because for many, the American Dream is to be able to immigrate to America from a poor country to achieve more whether it is economically or educationally. This is exactly what the video discusses; a program in the CUNY called SEEK was created to financially aid minorities to get a reduced or free college education, which for most, is the American Dream.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086250/
ReplyDeleteThe classic film "Scarface" is based on the idea of the bitter-sweetness of the American Dream. The film starts with a poor Cuban immigrant to the United States who came in search of the American Dream. When he came to the United Sates he turned to a life of crime. He first thought the American Dream was just related to the amount of money you possess. He was wrong in thinking this, since at the end of the movie he had more money than he could ever dream or use in a lifetime. However he was not happy, he was less fulfilled than when he lived under Castro's rule in Cuba. He had killed his best friend, ruined his sister's life and lost the woman of his dreams.
I like how you used Scarface as an example! It really is a good example of how the American Dream can become distorted and what you make of it.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYGc8-L_NmE
ReplyDeleteIn this video, John Green gives his thoughts on the American Dream and how factors such as the wage gap and systemic inequality of opportunity will prevent future innovators from succeeding in the United States. He goes on to state that the American Dream is just that, a dream, something that's unfortunately not real. 42% of American men raised in the bottom 20% of income will stay there, compared to 30% for the UK and just 25% for Denmark. This downward trend in the American economy, he says, will prevent future innovators from getting the opportunities they need to succeed. That's why systemic inequality is bad not only to lower income Americans, but to all Americans. The once great American Dream could end up becoming the "Danish Dream" if we continue to stifle future innovators from obtaining their opportunities and becoming successful.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/07/01/opinion/sunday/american-dreams.html?_r=0
ReplyDeleteIn this article, the writer gathers personal opinions and experiences from many different people to show different perspectives of the American Dream during this year. Points that seem to be uniform throughout each person are that being positive , working hard, and being accepting are all keys to achieving a happy life in America.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/07/05/american-dream-unrecognized/12047675/
ReplyDeleteIn this article, the writer explains how many people are living the American Dream but doesn't realize it. He explains how people no longer see the American as it was back then the "Tradition" American Dream but now people see it as a wealth dream .