¶ … White and Its Impact on One's Position And Status In Society
Being white in the modern world affects one's position and status in society because society is very much the outcome of white Anglo-Saxon protestant (WASP) foundations, ideology, and practices that began hundreds of years ago with the break-up of Europe united under one faith, wherein all peoples who accepted that faith were viewed as part of the same mystical body. With the rise of Protestantism, the view changed, and every individual body or group of people held their own faith, and the ideology of the WASP came to dominate much of the world, fueling capitalism, colonialism, and industrialization. Today, diversity is discussed yet the WASP ideology is still strong under the surface and segregation is evident in society.
Thus, being white is like being part of the WASP club, of being born into a socially acceptable position based on one's heritage (racial and ethnic background). If one is white, one is most likely to be an inheritor of the protestant ethos that has driven much of history over the past 500 years. As Bernasconi (2010) points out, the philosophy of the white Anglo-Saxon protestants during the Enlightenment effectively shaped the way we think of ourselves today. Friedman (1990) echoes this sentiment in her discussion...
In this way the American Dream became even less accessible to poor persons, who in the past may have expected help from the more fortunate sectors of society. Instead they were forced to see the rich grow increasingly richer without any chance for access to prosperity. Unemployment and disparate income rates exacerbate the problem. Those employed in the most worthy of caring professions are often at the lowest end
(Steinbeck, 1939) When the Grapes of Wrath is compared with the other works that are discussed earlier, it is clear that this is showing the negative side of the American dream. In this situation, things did not work as planned for the Joads. Instead, they were forced to deal with these challenges and believe that things will turn around. This determination is showing how the American dream is more than
Waves of immigrants -- the Irish fleeing famine, the Italians, the Germans, the Scandinavians, the Chinese -- came to America, in the hopes of beginning their own businesses, starting their own farms and making life better for their children. America seemed like a place where the past did not define one's status in the present: yet even though many of these ethnic groups made inroads into America's social fabric and
American Dream What's wrong with the American Dream? The American Dream is primarily associated with achievement and success. According to Hochschild, achievement and success can be individually defined as it can mean something different to each person. The basic tenant, however, is the notion that hard work yields favorable results, if you play by the rules. Further, the dream can be pursued by anyone despite his or her background, culture, race or
A solid work ethic can help stimulate creativity. Work ethic does not entail laboring for long hours in deplorable working conditions. A healthy work ethic means that Americans work hard because they love what they do and take pride in it. Warshauer shows how the "get rich quick" ideal has permeated American society, replacing what was once a healthy work ethic with an unhealthy arrogance. Liu also refers to
American Dream The Awakening" and "Thelma and Louise" Although written and filmed a century apart, Kate Chopin's novel, "The Awakening," and the movie "Thelma and Louis" possess the same core theme of feminism at odds with the norms of society. Chopin's character Edna, has had the social upbringing of any proper female of her day. Chopin describes her as "an American woman, with a small infusion of French which seemed to have been
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