American Dream Meritocracy
Jaimee Evans
February 26, 2012
SOCI 3405
Professor Kurti
The American Dream based upon a system of meritocracy, is an interesting aspect of the American culture. It is based on the premise that with hard work and patience, anything is possible. Financial security, social status and a stable lifestyle await those who put in the time and effort. While it is a comforting thought to hold onto while putting in forty plus hours at week at your job, its reality is hard to prove. The American Dream relies on so many factors, that it seems as if only certain people will actually be able to achieve it, while others continually struggle. In this paper, I will examine the roots of the American Dream in the Protestant Work Ethic and display the …show more content…
More importantly, how does meritocracy fit into this? Well, Weber notes that in some Protestant societies, such as Calvinist, there was the notion of a calling. He says, “The Puritan wanted to work in calling; we are forced to do so. For when asceticism was carried out of monastic cells into everyday life, and began to dominate worldly morality, it did its part in building the tremendous cosmos of the modern economic order”. (Weber 103). It was this idea of a calling that made people dedicated to their craft and therefore dedicated to the pursuit of wealth. Subsequently wealth can be seen as a determinant of how dedicated you are to your craft. Those who are more dedicated put in more time and effort and therefore, deserve more of a reward. This is the notion of meritocracy. Meritocracy basically says that you get what you put in. Those who take the time to hone their craft will make more money and be more …show more content…
This notion that people can build their way up into higher standards of life and social status, is my eyes, nothing more than a ploy to exploit people for their labor. Societal structures have made it so that only certain people can achieve in this country. If you are of the right race, come from the right socioeconomic standing or are born into an already wealthy family, then success is almost guaranteed to you. If you are not one of those people, I think you have a chance to succeed, but it’s not as simple as the Dream proposes. Rather than redistributing wealth from the top to the bottom, I think what is needed is broader access to education, better essential nutrition, and more stable early childhood development experiences. I also believe that people must change their social views about race, and gender in this country. Until that is achieved, I think it is safe to consider the American Dream nonexistent. George Carlin was right when he said, “The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe
February 26, 2012
SOCI 3405
Professor Kurti
The American Dream based upon a system of meritocracy, is an interesting aspect of the American culture. It is based on the premise that with hard work and patience, anything is possible. Financial security, social status and a stable lifestyle await those who put in the time and effort. While it is a comforting thought to hold onto while putting in forty plus hours at week at your job, its reality is hard to prove. The American Dream relies on so many factors, that it seems as if only certain people will actually be able to achieve it, while others continually struggle. In this paper, I will examine the roots of the American Dream in the Protestant Work Ethic and display the …show more content…
More importantly, how does meritocracy fit into this? Well, Weber notes that in some Protestant societies, such as Calvinist, there was the notion of a calling. He says, “The Puritan wanted to work in calling; we are forced to do so. For when asceticism was carried out of monastic cells into everyday life, and began to dominate worldly morality, it did its part in building the tremendous cosmos of the modern economic order”. (Weber 103). It was this idea of a calling that made people dedicated to their craft and therefore dedicated to the pursuit of wealth. Subsequently wealth can be seen as a determinant of how dedicated you are to your craft. Those who are more dedicated put in more time and effort and therefore, deserve more of a reward. This is the notion of meritocracy. Meritocracy basically says that you get what you put in. Those who take the time to hone their craft will make more money and be more …show more content…
This notion that people can build their way up into higher standards of life and social status, is my eyes, nothing more than a ploy to exploit people for their labor. Societal structures have made it so that only certain people can achieve in this country. If you are of the right race, come from the right socioeconomic standing or are born into an already wealthy family, then success is almost guaranteed to you. If you are not one of those people, I think you have a chance to succeed, but it’s not as simple as the Dream proposes. Rather than redistributing wealth from the top to the bottom, I think what is needed is broader access to education, better essential nutrition, and more stable early childhood development experiences. I also believe that people must change their social views about race, and gender in this country. Until that is achieved, I think it is safe to consider the American Dream nonexistent. George Carlin was right when he said, “The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe