{"id":75415,"date":"2025-01-06T00:04:38","date_gmt":"2025-01-06T05:04:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=75415"},"modified":"2025-01-06T00:04:38","modified_gmt":"2025-01-06T05:04:38","slug":"is-the-american-dream-achievable-these-students-are-examining-its-promises-and-pitfalls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/is-the-american-dream-achievable-these-students-are-examining-its-promises-and-pitfalls\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the American Dream achievable? These students are examining its promises and pitfalls"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Title of course:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\u201cEconomic Realities of the American Dream<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

What prompted the idea for the course?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

One of us \u2013\u00a0Steve Fazzari<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 was trained as an economist, and the other \u2013\u00a0Mark Rank<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 as a sociologist. We\u2019ve shared scholarly interests over the years as colleagues at Washington University in St. Louis. But our teaching partnership really began with a lecture Mark gave about his book \u201cOne Nation Underprivileged<\/a>,\u201d which explores the causes and consequences of poverty and how the reality of poverty conflicts with American values. This talk inspired Steve at a moment in his career when he sought to integrate economic inequality into his teaching.<\/p>\n

Our conversations deepened as Mark was researching his next book, \u201cChasing the American Dream: Understanding What Shapes Our Fortunes<\/a>.\u201d We realized that both of us could bring something unique to the table about the American Dream, and this was the spark for the class.<\/p>\n

What does the course explore?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A paradox of the American story is the belief that all citizens are entitled to certain rights and opportunities. Yet, in reality, the country\u00a0fails to achieve this goal<\/a>. While the American Dream captures these aspirations, our course also considers the dream\u2019s reality.<\/p>\n

Each week we trade off leading the class, but we always have a lively exchange drawing on decades of social science teaching and research. Our students, who come from different backgrounds and fields, such as political science and engineering, offer a kaleidoscope of perspectives.<\/p>\n

The class begins by exploring the American Dream\u2019s historical and philosophical background. While the course readings present multiple perspectives about what the dream entails, we focus on three principles common to most Americans\u2019 understanding of the dream: the freedom of Americans to pursue their passions to reach their potential; an economic bargain that hard work should lead to an economically secure life; and hope and optimism for better days ahead.<\/p>\n

We then focus on the pathways for achieving the American Dream, including economic mobility, equality of opportunity, rising standards of living, and the availability of\u00a0good jobs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We next discuss how poverty and economic insecurity, unemployment and underemployment, economic inequality and racial and gender discrimination prevent many Americans from attaining the American Dream. We focus specifically on how changing economic conditions have created\u00a0greater barriers<\/a>\u00a0in recent decades.<\/p>\n

In the final section, our focus shifts to policy ideas for putting the dream within reach of more Americans and to explore alternative guiding principles for a successful life.<\/p>\n

What materials does the course feature?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Students read a wide variety of articles and all or part of several books, including:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe American Dream vs. the Gospel of Wealth<\/a>: The Fight for a Productive Middle-Class Economy,\u201d by Norton Garfinkle<\/p>\n

\u201cStrangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right<\/a>,\u201d by Arlie Russell Hochschild<\/p>\n

\u201cChasing the American Dream: Understanding What Shapes Our Fortunes<\/a>,\u201d by Mark Robert Rank, Thomas A. Hirschl and Kirk A. Foster<\/p>\n

\u201cPoorly Understood: What America Gets Wrong About Poverty<\/a>,\u201d by Mark Robert Rank, Lawrence M. Eppard and Heather E. Bullock<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the Great Recession: The Struggle for Economic Recovery and Growth<\/a>,\u201d edited by Barry Z. Cynamon, Steven M. Fazzari and Mark Setterfield
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