¶ … America's New Aristocracy," January 24, 2015, The Economist
Without even realizing it, many marginalized citizens in the United States may believe that they somehow deserve to be poor and disadvantaged because of some fundamental character flaw or lack of ambition or talent compared to their more affluent counterparts. This belief is based in large part on the lessons that are taught in the public school classrooms concerning the superiority of a meritocracy in determining who comes out on top in American society. Indeed, this has been the foundation of the American dream since the country's inception, and Horatio Alger et al. have been used to encourage young people to pursue this dream irrespective of their circumstances. What these lessons ignore, however, are the enormous class differences that exist in American society that have a pronounced effect on determining how big a slice of the American pie people receive Young people from low-income families will inevitably lack the same types of educational and vocational opportunities that their more affluent counterparts enjoy, of course, but the differences do not end there. According to an article in The Economist (America's new aristocracy, 24 Jan 2015), the rich in America get richer because they tend to group together to reproduce and to provide their offspring with all of the advantages that money can buy. Using an appeal to ethos based on the editors' credibility as responsible journalists and several examples from the historical record, the article also draws on pathos to emphasize that, "Far more than in previous generations, clever, successful men marry clever, successful women. Such 'assortative mating' increases inequality by 25% ... since two-degree households typically enjoy two large incomes" (America's new aristocracy 2).
In support of their assertions that legitimate meritocracy is threatened by the inordinate advantages provided the rich in American society, the editors go on to argue that college graduates earning hefty salaries will somehow naturally spend more time with their children and take a greater interest...
Tales Charles Perrault was responsible for collecting and adapting many of the fairy tales best known to contemporary audiences, and his collection of Stories or Fairy Tales from Past Times with Morals, also known as Mother Goose Tales, offers a unique insight into both the evolution of fairy tales in general and the socio-political context of Perrault's own writing. In particular, Perrault's use of domesticated and wild animals in certain
When white explorers first encountered the Great Zimbabwe, they were convinced that the massive stone structures were built by a vanished race of white people since Africans were widely regarded as being incapable of creating these impressive buildings. More recent scholarship, however, has dispelled these misperceptions but the harsh reality remains that the African American community is still widely regarded by many people of other races as somehow inferior, and
This was usually the case with the proliferation of British rule at the time; trade was the predecessor to British Colonialism. For administrative purposes, Singapore became a part of Penang and Malacca which were two other settlements in the region. By 1826 these areas were grouped together and became known as the Straits Settlement. Initially the centre of the Straits Settlement was Penang. Penang was governed by Calcutta and
On the threshold of the Civil Rights movement, Baldwin would publish Notes of a Native Son. Though 1953's Go Tell It On The Mountain would be perhaps Baldwin's best known work, it is this explicitly referential dialogic follow-up to Wright's Native Son that would invoke some of the most compelling insights which Baldwin would have to offer on the subject of American racism. This is, indeed, a most effectively lucid examination from the perspective of a deeply
Global Business Cultural Analysis: Singapore The objective of this study is to answer the questions how the major elements and dimension of culture including religion, ethics, values, attitudes, manners, customs, social structures, and organizations integrated in Singapore by local conducting business. As well, this work will answer how these elements and dimensions compare with United States culture and business. Finally, this work will examine the implications for United States businesses that
Labor Unions in America: A response to Hard Work by Rick Fantasia and Kim Voss. According to the authors, why have labor unions struggled in the U.S. How does their explanation resonate with major contemporary perspectives in the field of social movements? What do the authors have to say in regard to the possibilities and limits of labor union revitalization in the U.S. How does their view resonate with the major
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now