Essay On Meritocracy

739 Words2 Pages

Meritocracy in America Does meritocracy still exist in America? Are many talented people who have worked hard throughout their lives going to get deserving rewards and promotions? Does the word meritocracy invented by Michael Young in 1958 still make sense to all of us? Many people still think that meritocracy exists in America because America is the land of opportunities. However, meritocracy does not really exist in America because many hard working people still do not have adequate benefits for their lives and an uncertain future. Meritocracy, unlike aristocracy, is the system in which talented people are rewarded and promoted to leadership positions based on their merit. According to James Whitehurst, meritocracy “now refers to organizations where the best people and ideas win.” However, as true as it may sound, meritocracy in America is still a myth and is not a certainty. In the article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack,” McIntosh’s disdain of meritocracy when she described as “I must give up the myth of meritocracy.” She mentioned the meritocracy myth because in reality, many people who lack talents and experience can still climb the upward mobility ladder and become wealthier while the rest of …show more content…

Many working people who have worked hard throughout their lives, but they still work the same job and earn the same salary year after year. This predicament causes them not to have any promotional opportunities and usually happens to female workers. For example, one of my husband’s coworkers continues to work the same job and earn the same salary even though she has worked hard throughout her career. Another instance at my husband’s workplace is a female manager still has difficulties managing her staff because the staff dislikes her leadership even though she has worked for more than twenty years at the company, and she is waiting to retire from

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