Does the american dream exist

But first, do we understand what the American dream means? Do we understand what it means to this great nation of America? Are we working on actualizing the dream for the sake of ourselves and our kids? I believe and I know that there are fellow Americans who still believe that the American dream is still and will be actualized. This paper will seek to explain how the American dream through the aspects of the economy and work is still valid. In his book “Epic of America”, the author James Adams describes the American dream like that in which there would be a richer and better life for everyone and that there would be opportunities for each one based on their ability and accomplishment.

He went further to say that it would be a tough dream for the European superior class to understand and that a lot of people had grown mistrustful and wary of it. This dream was to be equal for everyone regardless of their circumstances of birth or social class. The American dream promises a brighter future to individuals despite the situations of one’s birth whether they were native or immigrants. There is no amount of freshness and fire which can challenge that which any man may store in their ghostly heart. This is among the quotes of Fitzgerald illustrating the illusion of the American dream. Today, there are individual perspectives on the American dream. One of such perspectives is the idea of having a good paying job which can provide a means of owning a house.

Losing a job may seem to be one of the greatest fears of any employed worker. The thing is that the American dream is not dead as it is claimed but it is just faced with several challenges which when tackled and solved will see America great again. Let’s just say that America’s best days lie still ahead. A lot of workers believe that the above-mentioned aspects; diversity, technology, clean energy, and immigration are “stealing” jobs. It is important to acknowledge and address such real fears among the people. When people from diverse backgrounds meet in a workplace setting, they tend to conceptualize new ways of thinking and how to deliver new ideas. This usually has an impact on the performance of the business and the general market as innovation helps to solve recurring problems (Colombo, Cullen, & Lisle).

Additionally, the economic growth of a country is contingent upon building strong and healthy partnerships locally and globally. An economy with a diverse workforce benefits through the entry to connect beyond borders. Through this, consumer sales and product development are achieved. But think of it, where would we be if not these fascinating technological innovations and advancements. Does it mean that technological advancements are not worth it? Of course not. Businesses and industries should innovate daily to counter the ever-growing competition from other businesses. This will ensure that new jobs are created whenever technology fades out and that more people will be employed (Brian). To some extent, some may argue the fact that undocumented and immigrants who enter the U. This calls for the review of the immigration policies by the Trump administration (Brian).

There have been debates regarding the nature of clean energy and globalization and as to whether they are killing the American dream or fostering the realization of the same. Reports and studies have indicated that the solar industry in the U. S has twice as more as the jobs which are from coal. Researchers have projected that in the coming decade, solar which is a natural source of energy will absorb layoffs which will be occurring in the coal industry. For instance, we should recognize and appreciate our diversity because it is one of the great strengths which we may use and achieve. We should also recommit and extend unabridged privileges, opportunities, and rights to all and also include the newer citizens (Barack).

Gender roles in the family The gender an individual associates with is more dependent on the behavioral characteristics of an individual rather than the individual’s sexual characteristics (Devor). The role of gender in the society cannot be emphasized enough due to the repercussions associated with the conformity or lack thereof of various societal norms. We have previously seen that the American dream is associated with the equal opportunity provided for all people regardless of race, age, sex or any other defining characteristics. This has however not changed the mindset in society as only 5% of corporate leaders are women are at the helm of major corporate entities while only 5% of workers at jobs considered to be feminine are men (Hayden). Discrimination on basis of gender has manifested in many ways such as the faster promotion of males than females on the corporate ladder, disparities in the pay of women to that of men who are at the same level at work and contain similar qualifications to that of their male counterparts.

Men are considered to have more responsibilities in sustaining the household economically than women and this reason has been used multiple times in justification of higher pay for men than for women (Hayden). Therefore gender has a significant role in the realization of the American dream as it primarily dwells on the impact of inequality in society. Women have the same capability to achieve greatness as men do and in order for them to fully realize their potential, it is significant that they be given the same opportunities their male counterparts enjoy. This is however not the case according to Jonathan Kozol. The notion of separate but equal persists up to date referring to the separation of school-going children on the basis of race but ensuring that they get the same quality of education.

The most damaging to any serious effort to address racial segregation openly is the refusal of most arbiters of culture in the northern cities to confront or even clearly name an obvious reality that they would have castigated with passion in another section of the nation fifty years before (Kozol). This indicates the unwillingness to bluntly brand the problem with the reality on the ground due to fears of any subsequent repercussions. It is evident that there are schools that various groups of people find rather hard to get into. As we saw earlier, education plays a major role in shaping the future success of an individual, especially if they are to look for formal employment in life. Therefore with the inequality of treatment on the basis of race, this virtual barrier puts a great strain on the actualization of the American dream (Johnson).

Even though there are a lot of challenges on the way to realization of the American dream, it does not mean that the dream itself has to die. Effort has to be put in removing the barriers that impact its realization as well as the willingness of the various individuals to change and accept change so as to put America back in track as the land of equal opportunity. There is more to be done in terms of practicability including tackling the determinants of mobility which should be done at the neighborhood level. Tenth Edition. Hayden, Dolores. Redesigning the American dream: The future of housing, work, and family life. WW Norton & Company, 2002. Johnson, Heather Beth.  The audacity of hope: Thoughts on reclaiming the American dream.