Perils Of Meritocracy

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Perils of Meritocracy
Meritocracy defined as a system where power and success are awarded based on ability and achievement. Its core principle is that “if you work hard, you can succeed” – a sentiment that is embedded in the “American Dream” (Hochschild). The system of meritocracy was created to be an equalizer in America, so that everyone can get what they deserve, provided they put in the effort and have “what it takes.” However, achievement has social, political, and economic determinants, which make social advancement less accessible to immigrants and minorities while giving a boost to people from well-off backgrounds. Because believing America is a meritocracy can misplace blame and obscure structural inequalities, the danger of meritocracy is that it perpetuates inequality while …show more content…

In a meritocracy, success and power are distributed based on achievement, not factors such as background and identity. However, in America, economic, political, and social conditions make give certain birthrights advantages for achieving success while setting barriers for others. Parents with higher income tend to have more involved parents, such as Wendy in Our Kids, who can provide their children with greater access to resources, such as extracurricular involvement and tutoring, which can cultivate “merit” (Putnam). In contrast, children like Hector and Juan from poorer neighborhoods lack these support systems and face discouraging conditions, such as racial profiling, dysfunctional schools, rampant unemployment, and gang pressure, alone (Michie). Despite their talent, hard work, and motivation, they and their classmates lack the basic education and information needed to cultivate the merit needed for social mobility and economic success (Michie). Because merit is influenced by larger social, political, and economic factors that are out of an individual’s control, conditions in America do not allow for a true

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