During the 1860s, a cup of coffee cost five cents in New York City; today a cup of coffee costs two dollars. Although the price of coffee may have changed, the values of social mobility have not. The 1860s had certain class distinctions that developed the idea of upward mobility. Upward mobility is the idea that you are able to move from a lower social level to a higher one. For example, this can be done by changing jobs or by marrying someone who is in a higher class than you are. But as for individualism goes, upward mobility can be obtained with hard work and dedication. In Ragged Dick, by Horatio Alger, the main character, Dick is able to move up in the world due to the kindness of strangers and hard work. Class distinctions are based on …show more content…
His life story proves that it is entirely possible to increase your social standing with hard work and education. His story allows Americans to believe that it is possible for anyone to become president no matter what their background is. Obama didn’t have it easy as he was growing up he lived in drug filled neighborhoods where the sound of gunshots was often heard. As a child, Obama’s grandparents helped raise him and instilled the mind-set of upward mobility into his future. His grandmother worked her way up from a secretary to a manager at the bank where she worked. Obama was able to continue his education through college with help of student loans and scholarships. After college, he moved onto law school where he devoted his time to become the first African American president of Harvard Law …show more content…
In 1996, he won the election. By 2004, Obama made the decision to continue to climb up the social ladder. He decided to run for an open seat in the United States Senate. In November 2004, Obama received seventy percent of the votes allowing him to become the third African- American elected to the United States Senate since Reconstruction. In 2007, Obama publicized his candidacy for presidency for the 2008 election. In November 2008, he won the election and became the first African-American President of the United States. In just nine years Barack Obama went from being Junior Senator to President of the United States. In Ragged Dick, Alger presents the reader with the story of Dick Whittington, who has an even more dramatic case of rags to riches than Obama does. As a child, Whittington was poor but with hard work he came a very rich merchant and eventually the Lord Mayor of London. This idea of rags to riches or upward mobility is so popular because it’s the story we all want to believe in, it is considered a huge part of the American Dream. It’s present in Disney movies like Aladdin and Cinderella and even reality shows like The Apprentice and American Idol. America is infatuated with the idea of upward mobility. With college education so readily accessible, even the poorest high school student can go on to become a rich
Paul Krugman, in his article “The Death of Horatio Alger” suggests that social mobility among classes in the United States is becoming more difficult by the day. Krugman explains that the idea of the American Dream and moving from class to class was once semi easily attainable; but is now seemingly impossible. Although America is thought of as a classless society, the country has a whole is moving into a caste society run by the rich.
Horatio Alger was an author in the late nineteenth century; he wrote books to little boys on the American Dream. Alger’s books seemed to hark back to an older time when the American Dream was quite different than it was in his time. He subscribed to thoughts of morality, individualism and the competence; but keeps the contemporary idea of fruitfulness. Alger wrote many books to encourage young boys to be moral and work hard.
It was hard for Obama to know that his father was the person whom he had the most resemblance in terms of physical appearance and he was never around. There were so many questions and confusions in Obama’s head. His mother was a white woman and he was black. Obama was in the need of finding a community where he would feel welcome. Despite Obama’s traumas produced by the deficiency of his father’s presence Obama proved to be very smart. He was a student at Columbia University. He was one of the few black students that went t...
In contempt of Obama’s humble giving spirit, vivid personality, and many accomplishments, a debate is always at hand upon hearing the infamous name Barack Hussein Obama. From his place of birth, religion, and ethnicity Obama’s face a fair share of controversy. At the heels of adversity along with sheer determination to help others Obama became a leader that delivers and one of the most influential people of America. Adversity was introduced to Obama at an early age. With a Kenyan father and Caucasian mother residing in Hawaii, Obama has always stood out in numerous ways. In 1959 Barack Obama Senior was selected from a number of candidates to go to school in the US where he attended The University of Hawaii in Honolulu to
In section two (Chicago) of Baracks book, Dreams from My father: A story of Race and Inheritance marks an experience of learning for Obama. Obama throws himself into his new job as a community organizer with determination. His specific role includes the mobilization of local churches of all backgrounds, politics and community representatives, but he is up against a wall of cynicism. Of the numerous lessons he learned, the most drastic would be learning how to move in towards the centers of people’s lives by communicating with them and his change in faith.
Class Separation lowers a person’s opportunity to achieve the American dream. As the separation between class increases, there is less possibility of achieving the American dream. Class separation has been around for a while. The higher class has higher prospect of achieving the American dream whereas the lower class does not. The separation between the class and its affect on achieving the American dream is demonstrated in the novel Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald, a political cartoon, The Great GAPsby society, an article by David Cay Johnson, Richest Are Leaving even the Rich Far Behind and Shadowy Lines That Still Divide by Janny Scott. Even though some argue that the class separation does not affect the ability of achieving the American Dream, these articles clearly explain how it does.
Obama wants to invest within our schools and communities because the children of the union are the future in which we, the United States, depend upon. Investing in our schools and communities will make them successful, building them equally to form one union for all Americans. Discrimination is the main reason for inequality in America; solving the problem of discrimination, by addressing and changing the mindset of racial superiority, will dissolve the problem of Inequality. Poverty in the United States is a result of the inequality between races in America throughout the past. The present African American race has a 27.4% poverty rating mostly due to their hardships of slavery and racial inequality throughout their generations. Obama wants all Americans to realize that our dreams do not have to come at the expense of other’s dreams, together we can make this a more perfect
Barack received a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and then worked as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago. This helped him gain a lot of confidence and responsibility. He had many plans and goals to make the community better. He achieved his goals and this was just the beginning of a successful path in his life. He decided to attend Harvard Law School, which helped him bring change for himself, his family, and especially to his community. Also in that school he also gained the knowledge and power of becoming a leader that he wanted to become.
As a young black woman, I can’t help but to be drawn in by the black man’s story. African-Americans who started off as property, then promoted to second class citizens and finally equals but maybe not the same, have a long standing history somewhat separate from the rest of America. Forced to be a part of a country where they were only desired when they were merely dollar signs driving the south’s economy, and soon just considered a nuisance rather not dealt with, blacks have faced many tribulations. Oppressed for many years, blacks have come a long way. That being said the race dilemma in America still lingers. Today every citizen is entitled to the same rights and pursuit of happiness but it would be naïve to say that difference don’t exists
Obama emotionally influences the nation to move forward from the issues of race that is hindering America. Without dwelling on his family tree, Obama reminds us that his father was black and his mother white, that he came from Kenya, but she came from Kansas: “I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slave and slave owners — an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles, and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.
According to Henslin social, mobility is the movement of individuals, families and groups from one social position to another (Henslin, 2015, p 237-239). It can be viewed in terms of distribution of resources and power among the different social stratification and its effect on the people involved. Stratification is a ranking system for groups of people that continue unequal rewards and life chances in society. Through stratification, society categorizes people and distributes valued resources based upon these categories (Henslin, 2015,p190). The social status of a person is determined by his or her work how much money they have earned and how they move their way up the social class. Social mobility occurs whenever people move across social class boundaries, from one level to another. Mobility can be up or down on the social class ladder but the American Dream is only upward mobility on the social class ladder. The people in the United States are broken down into classes the rich people on top the poor people in the bottom and the middle class in the
In the podcast, Americas Poverty Myths, #3: Rags to Riches, Brooke Gladstone and Bob Garfield discuss what causes the issue of poverty and how to get out of it. Gladstone and Garfield argue that to get out of poverty you need to be lucky and that people stay in the station in which they are born. Although I agree that being lucky can get you out of poverty, I don’t believe that it is the only way to escape the cycle of poverty because many people have gone from rags to riches without the help of luck. Gladstone and Garfield argue that you need to be lucky in order to get out of poverty, but that is not always the case.
In the autobiography, Obama entails on the beginning journey of his life from early childhood to young adulthood. The novel begins with him finding out from his aunt that his father has passed away in Nairobi. Obama’s father left him and his mother when he was only 2 years old. Obama then talks about the family he grew up with, his mother and grandparents, and the racism they dealt with at a time when few accepted interracial relations and even more so marriages. He recalls being made fun of as a young child when other kids would make monkey noises when it was discovered his father was from Kenya. He then moves to Indonesia when his mother remarries, but then at 10 years old moves back to Hawaii where he spent his early childhood. It was with his grandparents that he developed much of his character and learned how strongly education was emphasized in his family. Obama also talks about how fascinated he was with by his father. As he grows a bit older into adolescence, Obama learns more about race relations and reads the book Heart of Darkness. This book helps him to see how white people look at black people, as a white man wrote the book talking about black people. He also delves into his marijuana use, which he used to help him during this confusing and rough period in his life. Obama’s story then ...
“We learned about honesty and integrity - that the truth matters... that you don't take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules... and success doesn't count unless you earn it fair and square.” (BrainyQuote) Michelle Robinson Obama bravely faced the unnerving odds of being an African American lady in the 1960s to 1980s, not to mention growing up in Chicago and attending the prestigious Princeton University. Proudly raised in Chicago, the First Lady continually proves that, although she faced numerous setbacks and challenges, one can succeed in any task they are faced with. Michelle Obama, accompanied with all of her unique quirks, went through countless hours of dedication to her schooling, and she now helps lead a nation with intelligence and inspiration.
To sum up, Obama has always been and will always be a great example of how to succeed in spite of difficulties or obstacles. Such a strong personality is worth to be admired. Obama has left me with positive feelings about the