Comparing The American Dream And Structural Mobility
699 Words3 Pages
The American Dream is the idea that all Americans have equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work and determination. Our country is built on the idea that we are born equal, meaning we start on the same playing field giving us all equal chance at upward social mobility. For many people the American dream consist of three components; higher education, good jobs, and opportunities for us, and our children. The current status of America’s structural mobility is that if you are born into poverty, your chances of climbing up the social ladder are slim. Structural mobility refers to changes in society that enables a whole group of people to move up or down the class ladder. An example of this is the distribution of wealth in America. Currently, 1% of Americans have a total net worth that equals out to more than half the nation’s wealth giving them a huge advantage in their quality of life, and ability to purse happiness. This wealth inequality put a strain on each individualizes ability to achieve the American Dream. This is because Americans…show more content… Therefore by believing whether one is deserving of success or not can have an impact on our lives. Life Chances is a concept where our probability of success is predicted due to certain factors which effects the resources to which we have access to. Most people living in the lower class have the mentality that their children will have similar occupations to them, so early on they teach them to obey authority. Those higher up the social ladder tend to have jobs with greater independence, thus these parents tend to encourage creativity. These are factors that we have no control over, however they are facts needed to be considered to asses each individuals’ life chances at the opportunity of success. We don’t choose the social class we’re born into but it directly impacts the course we begin in