Politics at the Movies—Changing Visions of the American Dream
The so-called “American Dream” has changed in fundamental ways over the years, beginning with a modest vision for a steady job with a living wage, a little house with a white picket fence, a decent car, a happy marriage and good kids who did not use drugs. Over the years, though, this modest vision transformed into far greater aspirations, including a large salary, a big house in the suburbs, a trophy wife (for men) and children who excelled in academics and extracurricular activities, among countless other things. Today, however, more and more Americans are realizing that this type of vision is not achievable for them, and perhaps not their children as well due to major economic and social changes. The purpose of this paper provide a discussion concerning the concept of the “American Dream,” including its basic definition, the origins of the term and the extent to which it has evolved over time in U.S. history. In addition, the paper provides a description concerning the extent to which the concept of the American Dream has become a part of U.S. political culture since its origin, and the extent to which the American Dream has significantly influenced the actions of the national government of the United States over time. A discussion concerning what the notion of the American Dream means to this writer in terms of my own life, my vision of my future, and my opinion as to how attainable the American Dream will be for you over time is followed by a summary of the true-crime movie, “Pain & Gain.” Finally, an analysis of whether the current version of the American Dream is compatible with the sort of political culture that political scientists believe is necessary to sustain a healthy democratic governmental system in the U.S. and what steps might be taken by society to reassert a democracy friendly political culture for the United States is followed by a summary of the research and important findings about the American Dream in the conclusion.
Discussion of the concept of the “American Dream,” including its basic definition, its origins, and the extent to which it has evolved over time in U.S. history
This dictionary definition for “American Dream” states this is “a happy way of living that is thought of by many Americans as something that can be achieved by anyone in the U.S. especially by working hard and becoming successful” (American dream, 2018, para. 2). The origins of the term are credited to James Truslow Adams whose 1931 history of the country, The Epic of America, first defined the "American Dream" as being "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunities for each according to ability or achievement” (as cited in Carter, 2017, p. 30). In 1931, the nation was still struggling to overcome the devastation economic and social effects of the Great Depression, and Adams’ definition of the American Dream was applicable to most Americans of the day. Since that time, however, David and Giefeld (2017) report that, “In sync with the term's roots in a challenging time in American history, its meaning has evolved as times and circumstances have changed-generations have varied their definition of the Dream they pursue” (p. 77).
While precise definitional clarify may be elusive, most people would likely agree that the concept of the American Dream has not changed with respect to believing that their lives should become better during their own lifetimes and certainly become better for their children. It is important to note, though, that just as the definitions of the American Dream have changed over time, concepts of what the American Dream means to individual Americans also changes during their lifetimes. In this regard, David and Giefeld (2017) add that, “Generation X has...
References
American dream. (2018). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20American%20dream.
Carter, M. (2017, March). Beyond the dream, the journey: American novels that track the path from slavery to freedom. English Journal, 106(4), 29-33.
David, P. & Gelfeld, V. (2017, Fall). Generation X and its evolving experience with the American Dream. Generations, 41(3), 77-81.
John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address. (2018). John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved from https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/education/teachers/curricular-resources/elementary-school-curricular-resources/ask-not-what-your-country-can-do-for-you.
Loewen, J. W. (1998). Lies my teacher told me. New York: The New Press.
Vesely, C. (2013, April 20). Big director, buff actors, tall tale, tiny budget. Winnipeg Free Press, 3.
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