Reevaluating The Attainability of American Dream in Today's Society

In Work Ethic And Ethical Work: Distortions in the American Dream, Porter Gayler states that the new millennium has changed the way we think of the American dream. Porter points out that the United States has many different cultures and backgrounds that make up the economic system. The American dream was developed on the fact that the first settlers were the ones who came up with the idea of the American dream. Since they knew they wanted a better life in the United States from where they were from they wanted to start new. Besides we have always know the United States is made up of different ethnicities who came to see if they can accomplish the American dream.

The belief that the American dream might have just been a good idea that went off track, then what people were thinking it was going to be like. Work ethics has a big involvement in the American Dream since many people have changed the way they think about different things now. Many people tend to only find the easy way out of anything yet never actually fix the problem. Porter claims that since the new generation always wants to be better than the last one. They have changed the meaning of the American dream to go with there generation now. But is the American Dream still achievable? This essay tries to answer this question by analyzing different sources.

In The American Dream: Slipping Away, Neumann B, Susan claims that if you work hard in what you do and play by all the rules you can achieve the American dream. However Neuman implies that people should stop caring about themselves, but for the new generation who want to accomplish the American dream. Neuman was able to reach 2 different neighborhoods and started to realize differences and similarities. One of the neighborhoods was more high-end people and the other was referred to as the badland, this was long research studied that took 10 years to make. The children at the higher end of town were called Chestnut Hill, the kids in this neighborhood and many books to read at home. Parents would also come with them to the library. Their parents were more involved in the life of the child's education and what their kids to be able to achieve the American Dream.

Although in the Badland named Kensington many young children were reading graffiti inside of a book. Rarely would a parent walk into a library in that part of town and there weren't very many stores around town to get books. They realized that parents focused more on working to achieve the American dream then actually help their child learned so they can achieve it later in life. Neuman mentions how now we tend to pay more attention to people we think might be able to achieve the American dream comes to the baseline were the other people have no hope for them. The article goes into depending on how the American dream can not be accomplished if kids are not getting the same opportunity. A similarity that Porter and Neuman both explain is how the American dream may still be something people can go for yet the concept to it has changed. By that Porter and Neuman mean that you may still be able to say you achieve the American dream yet it may be different for someone else.

In A Dream deferred how discrimination impacts the American dream achievement for African-Americans, Armstrong, Joslyn recognizes that discrimination has changed the way low income colored people have thought about the American Dream. Since the American dream is the reason why other people from different continued to come into the United States. It gives great details on how the African American people feel about the American dream and if they think it can be accomplished. As much as we don't want to think about discrimination it is a tool to get people to make them think they should not work very hard for what they want. It has been used throughout the years for people to stop coming into the United States just for the American Dream. It emphasizes that many African Americans get discriminated which leads them to stop believing they will never be able to reach their American dream. Yet is the American dream able to be accomplished for many African Americans that might give up on reaching it. Ever so many other people do want to succeed and get to the American Dream. Porter talks about how the American dream was more based on work ethic and the generation changing. Yet Armstong explains more about how discrimination is getting to the people and making them give up on what they believed in.

In The New Economy and the American Dream: Examining the Effect of the Work Conditions on Beliefs about Economic Opportunity, Starks, Brian finds that the economy has changed a lot since the American dream was first talked about. The American dream started to sum up to around the beginning of the 20th century, the concept has changed a lot since then. The idea that no matter where you came from, you will be able to achieve the American dream. So many people have changed the concept of the American dream to something it not. Stacks shows everyone that the American Dream is what you think is for your goals in life. The graphs in the article shows many of the questions Stark asked different people that relate to the American dream. It shows a big percentage of people think that it is now more difficult to own a house than what it used to be. Even going on family vacation has become more difficult to do apparently in the scale the author shows. Porter and Starks have many different ways of thinking since Porter talks more about how the American dream can not be accomplished because we have changed the work ethics. Everso Armstrong and Starks almost have the same way of thinking since they both explain how the American dream is achievable yet it's what you think of it. Stack gives a great example by saying that even being in the middle class and owning a house can be someone living the American dream.

Lastly in Is the American Dream” of Homeownership an Equal Opportunity Goal, Victor Martha expresses his thoughts on how the American dream can now be achieved in this new economy. Since now we think less about what others think the American dream is, we now are starting to only care about what we think is our definition for it. Many people try to figure out the meaning but not the actual processes to achieve it. Viator emphasized that the homeowners have gone up from the fourth person to seventy percent these past years. This means that owning a home has never changed the American Dream since that is what started it and why many people come here to have a better life. Since many where they are from they can afford a home yet here the concept is if you work hard enough you can achieve anything you dream, of. The new concept for the American dream now is what your personal goals are. Viator explains how teenagers and adults have to understand that the goals you have for your future are your “American dream.” Porter is very different from Viator since they have different thoughts on it being achievable.

Since Porter emphasizes how you can accomplish the American dream the work ethic and economy have changed it a lot. Yet Viator believes that the concept did change but it was for the batter. Everyone can achieve the American dream now since the concept is bringing changes every year. Starks and Viator do have similar ideas in the fact that the middle class could be identified living your American dream. Starks and Viator talk about how owning a house and identifying that they are in the middle class can now be acceptable to say that you are living the American Dream. Starks and Viator do both acknowledge that achieving homeownership is one of the biggest things you could do to achieve the American dream. Even in the new economy paying off a house to save up for other things is a big accomplishment to start your American dream.

Conclusion

Porter believes that the American dream was not being accomplished since the new society changed it so much it does not have a meaning to it anymore. Yet to the other authors the idea of having the freedom to choose your path for your American dream sounds great to them. So is the American Dream still achievable? To conclude the essay, I believe that the American dream can still be achieved if we can choose our American dream. Not everyone's path is going to be the same. Since we all have different future we all need to have different American dreams no one's dream is the same. Yet I do understand why Porter believes that it is not achievable since back then it uses to be the same concept and which made people back them have the addition to try their hardest to get to the top of the social pyramid. Yet I do feel like it still gives motion even if you do have your American dream. Many people want to someday own their own house which could be a big step in accomplishing the American dream everyone wants to achieve. Ever so the American dream will keep on changing throughout time since our society will always be changing and people will be changing their concept in society.