The American Dream was derived from the United States Declaration of Independence which states that, “All mean are created equal” and that they are “endowed by their creator with certain inalienable Rights” including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (US 1776). This means that every person has equal opportunity in education, work and resources. This guaranteed that success was earned in an upward mobile fashion and that equality was maintained. Education is one of the main focuses of this dream but the equality that use to be associated with this area has shifted its importance. Income inequality has swallowed up the importance of equality in education due to the lack of opportunities given to those who are in the lower and middle classes. Education as part of the American Dream is no longer an equal opportunity because it is overrun by income inequality.
The oldest story in the book is the idea that rich kids do better than poor kids in school. As Paul Krugman says it in his article, “Student’s who scored in the bottom fourth on the exam, but came from families whose status put them in the top fourth-what we used to call RDKs, for Rich Dumb Kids, were more likely to finish college than students who scored in the top fourth but whose parents were in the bottom fourth ” (Krugman 591). The more current issue is that the gap has widened between the educational successes in high and low income students, which is exactly what Krugman is arguing in favor towards.
Low income students are generally found in low income communities which have fewer resources to devote to their schools. With inadequate funds and resources, these kids are not getting the equal opportunity in education as kids in high income communities. Kids...
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...n to the students of all economical status rather than taking from it. If the gap can widen so quickly then there is hope that it can also close just as quickly with the right action.
Works Cited
Thomas, Cal. “Is the American Dream Over?.” They Say I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. Graff, Gerald. Birkenstein, Cathy. New York. London: 2012. 569.
Herbert, Bob. “Hiding From Reality.” They Say I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. Graff, Gerald. Birkenstein, Cathy. New York. London: 2012. 566.
Franks, Robert H. “Income Inequality: Too Big to Ignore.” They Say I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. Graff, Gerald. Birkenstein, Cathy. New York. London: 2012. 584.
Krugman, Paul. “Confronting Inequality.” They Say I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. Graff, Gerald. Birkenstein, Cathy. New York. London: 2012. 590-591
We, as Americans, view inequality one way, while Krugman perceives it rhetorically. This rhetorical view represents his signal to us, stating the fact that our society changes continuously. “The America I grew up in was a [...] middle class society. Over the past generation,
Graff, Gerald. “Hidden Intellectualism”. They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. Comp. Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russell Durst. New York W.W. Norton & Company, 2006.
The Stases and Other Rhetorical Concepts from Introduction to Academic Writing. N.p.: n.p., n.d. PDF.
Mandelbaum, Robb, “There is a Salary Gap when pay themselves”. New York Times. Ed. Abramson Jill, Pub: New York City, February 18, 2014
The American dream is the general belief that American Citizens all have an equal opportunity to succeed socially and economically, regardless of any predating circumstances. This idea has been accepted as possible by the majority of citizens in this country. This “dream” cannot be true, as there are multiple discriminations in this country, which make it impossible for everyone to have the same chance to succeed. Biases against racial minorities, women, and citizens from lower social classes are examples of just a few reasons that everyone does not have the same chance to succeed in our current economic and social system in America, resulting in unequal chances to achieve “the American Dream.”
In Confronting Inequality, Paul Krugman asserts that the American Dream is one of equality and a lack of clear class distinctions. He argues firstly that economic inequality leads to social inequality, which he then pronounces to be a major challenge for the American Dream. However, though I agree that the classic version of the American Dream involves the chance for an individual to harness the possibility of social mobility so as to become economically better off than his or her parents, I believe that it has changed a great deal. Currently, most Americans not only desire to do better than their parents, but they also hope to become rich beyond their wildest dreams. This is the sort of goal that can, by definition, only be achieved through inequality. Therefore, inequality is a necessary component of the new American Dream.
Herbert, Bob. “Hiding from Reality.” They Say I Say, The Moves That Matter in Academic
Laden, Greg. "Children from Low-income Families at Educational Disadvantage." Science Blog. N.p., 26 Dec. 2008. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel K. Durst. "They Say/I Say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing: With Readings. Vol. 2e. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2012. Print.
Where would you consider yourself with your ranking in America 's social classes, are you upper class, middle class or even lower class? This is actually very important when it come to you receiving opportunities and in a sense special treatment. I’m referring to of course social inequality which is still very much alive in America and still affects a lot of families mostly in a negative way. This problem in America has grabbed the attention of two authors, Paul Krugman who wrote “Confronting Inequality” and Gary S. Becker and Kevin M. Murphy who wrote “The Upside of Income Inequality”. However, they both have different views on inequality Krugman believes that social inequality is only negative while on the other hand, Becker and Murphy believe Krugman believes that the only way to get into a good school is to be living in a higher economic area.
"The American Dream" is 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. 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 embraces prosperity, personal safety, and personal liberty. The American dream is a continually fluctuating set of ideals, reflecting the ideas of an era.
In the United States there are a multitude of physical and literal resemblances of the American Dream. One that pops into most people’s heads is the Declaration of Independence. This physical representation of the perceived American Dream is a document in which the United States was founded on and what people look to as guidance. The Declaration of Independence explains two key parts about the American Dream, “all men are created equal” and “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” ("The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription"). Both of these quotes agree with my own definition. I too believe in equal opportunity for every single person in the United States. No one human should be above
When the term ‘American Dream’ was first mentioned in 1931 by James Truslow Adams, he described it as “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.” (Clark). When Adams mentioned the term, it had much more of an idealistic meaning, rather than the materialistic meaning it has in modern society. At the time of it’s mention, the dream meant that prosperity was available to everyone. In the beginning, the American Dream simply promised a country in which people had the chance to work their way up through their own labor and hard work (Kiger). Throughout history, the basis of the dream has always been the same for each individual person. It
The American Dream was and always will be something that makes America great. It allows those with aspirations to make them come true. In America alone needs is a dream and the motivation to carry out that dream. Ambition is the driving force behind the American Dream. It allows any one that has an aspiration, a desire, a yearning, to carry out the individual dream. It knows no bounds of race, creed, gender or religion. It stands for something great, something that every one can strive towards. A dream can be a desire for something great. In America, the American Dream allows dreams to become realities. According to Webster's New World Dictionary, the American Dream is defined as "An American social ideal that' stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity". To live this dream is to succeed. It allows anyone, rich or poor to have the opportunity to succeed. It is the ability to come from nothing and become so me thing. To succeed at any thing you do, you must have patience and persistence. It requires hard work, persistence and a desire for something better. To have these qualities and the desire and ambition to carry the moutis part of the American Dream.
Currently, relatively few urban poor students go past the ninth grade. The graduation rates in large comprehensive inner-city schools are abysmally low. In fourteen such New York City Schools, for example, only 10 percent to 20 percent of ninth graders in 1996 graduated four years later. Despite the fact that low-income individuals desperately need a college degree to find decent employment, only 7 percent obtain a bachelors degree by age twenty-six. So, in relation to ...