Phillip Brown, Hugh Lauder, and David Ashton
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199731688
- eISBN:
- 9780199944125
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199731688.003.0025
- Subject:
- Sociology, Occupations, Professions, and Work
This chapter reviews the discussions that have been presented in previous chapters, including the concept of the American Dream. It considers the question of whether the American democracy will lead ...
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This chapter reviews the discussions that have been presented in previous chapters, including the concept of the American Dream. It considers the question of whether the American democracy will lead to another experiment that is needed to bring together prosperity and justice using new ways based on a generally different set of social priorities. It identifies the future prospects for American families and workers and discusses the neoliberal opportunity bargain and a new opportunity bargain.Less
This chapter reviews the discussions that have been presented in previous chapters, including the concept of the American Dream. It considers the question of whether the American democracy will lead to another experiment that is needed to bring together prosperity and justice using new ways based on a generally different set of social priorities. It identifies the future prospects for American families and workers and discusses the neoliberal opportunity bargain and a new opportunity bargain.
Weimin Tang
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789622099456
- eISBN:
- 9789882206687
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789622099456.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
This chapter, by focusing on what have been largely denounced as the two assimilationist Bildungsromane, Jade Snow Wong's Fifth Chinese Daughter, and Gish Jen's Typical American, brings to the fore ...
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This chapter, by focusing on what have been largely denounced as the two assimilationist Bildungsromane, Jade Snow Wong's Fifth Chinese Daughter, and Gish Jen's Typical American, brings to the fore an insider and outsider's profound ambivalence that illuminates the full complexity of the cross-cultural Chinese American subject. It is precisely in the active presence of this Chineseness, both as a historical given and cultural reinvention, that the myth of the American Dream as a trope of assimilation in the narratives of Wong's and Jen's mimic (wo)men's striving for likeness to the original symbol is simultaneously negotiated and contested. Ultimately transcending the reductive dichotomous polarization, the dream narratives of Wong and Jen are reread here as enunciating a metonymic displacement and transformation of the national myth in the cross-cultural Chinese American subject's very translational repetition of the American Dream itself.Less
This chapter, by focusing on what have been largely denounced as the two assimilationist Bildungsromane, Jade Snow Wong's Fifth Chinese Daughter, and Gish Jen's Typical American, brings to the fore an insider and outsider's profound ambivalence that illuminates the full complexity of the cross-cultural Chinese American subject. It is precisely in the active presence of this Chineseness, both as a historical given and cultural reinvention, that the myth of the American Dream as a trope of assimilation in the narratives of Wong's and Jen's mimic (wo)men's striving for likeness to the original symbol is simultaneously negotiated and contested. Ultimately transcending the reductive dichotomous polarization, the dream narratives of Wong and Jen are reread here as enunciating a metonymic displacement and transformation of the national myth in the cross-cultural Chinese American subject's very translational repetition of the American Dream itself.
Phillip Brown, Hugh Lauder, and David Ashton
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199731688
- eISBN:
- 9780199944125
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199731688.003.0008
- Subject:
- Sociology, Occupations, Professions, and Work
This introductory chapter discusses the concept of the American Dream, which can no longer be kept within national borders. It first looks at the opportunity bargain, where the role of the state is ...
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This introductory chapter discusses the concept of the American Dream, which can no longer be kept within national borders. It first looks at the opportunity bargain, where the role of the state is limited to making opportunities for people through education. It studies the competition for jobs, as well as globalization in Asia. It also reveals that people are forced to depend on a job market that is unable to cope with the rising tide of political, individual, and social expectations. The chapter ends with a section on how America can create a new opportunity bargain.Less
This introductory chapter discusses the concept of the American Dream, which can no longer be kept within national borders. It first looks at the opportunity bargain, where the role of the state is limited to making opportunities for people through education. It studies the competition for jobs, as well as globalization in Asia. It also reveals that people are forced to depend on a job market that is unable to cope with the rising tide of political, individual, and social expectations. The chapter ends with a section on how America can create a new opportunity bargain.
Eric S. Jenkins
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780748695478
- eISBN:
- 9781474406413
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748695478.003.0007
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
This chapter argues that ideology emerges from affective experience, tracing the translation of American Dream narratives from the versions common in classical Hollywood to the Disney version of the ...
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This chapter argues that ideology emerges from affective experience, tracing the translation of American Dream narratives from the versions common in classical Hollywood to the Disney version of the American dream. The chapter shows that the different translations articulate to the different modes and their special affections. Consonant with the classical mode, the Hollywood American Dream narrative holds that people climb the social ladder by comporting themselves correctly to their environment. In contrast, the Disney version suggests that one achieves the American Dream by sheer force of the imagination, by wishing upon a star. The Disney version is also consonant with animistic mimesis. The chapter concludes with the implications of such an understanding of ideological emergence for ideology critique.Less
This chapter argues that ideology emerges from affective experience, tracing the translation of American Dream narratives from the versions common in classical Hollywood to the Disney version of the American dream. The chapter shows that the different translations articulate to the different modes and their special affections. Consonant with the classical mode, the Hollywood American Dream narrative holds that people climb the social ladder by comporting themselves correctly to their environment. In contrast, the Disney version suggests that one achieves the American Dream by sheer force of the imagination, by wishing upon a star. The Disney version is also consonant with animistic mimesis. The chapter concludes with the implications of such an understanding of ideological emergence for ideology critique.
Richard T. Hughes
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780252042065
- eISBN:
- 9780252050800
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5622/illinois/9780252042065.003.0005
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
The myth of the Millennial Nation held that the United States, grounded as it was in the natural order, would shine its example around the globe until all nations of earth had abandoned despotic ...
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The myth of the Millennial Nation held that the United States, grounded as it was in the natural order, would shine its example around the globe until all nations of earth had abandoned despotic rulers and claimed the natural order of freedom and democracy for themselves. White Americans in the early national period, therefore, stood with one foot in the mythic age of creation and the other in the mythic, golden age to come. History became irrelevant. Early in the nineteenth century, white Americans imagined that the millennial transformation of the globe could be wrought solely through America’s moral example. But moral example gave way to force and violence as the myth of the Millennial Nation gave way to the doctrine of manifest destiny. By the early twentieth century, manifest destiny morphed into the American Dream. If manifest destiny had turned the millennial vision outward, inspiring the acquisition of both land and opportunity for economic investment abroad, the American Dream turned the millennial vision inward, inspiring new visions of opportunity at home. As the nation transitioned from millennial vision to manifest destiny to American dream, the myth of White Supremacy was the constant connecting factor that underpinned all three.Less
The myth of the Millennial Nation held that the United States, grounded as it was in the natural order, would shine its example around the globe until all nations of earth had abandoned despotic rulers and claimed the natural order of freedom and democracy for themselves. White Americans in the early national period, therefore, stood with one foot in the mythic age of creation and the other in the mythic, golden age to come. History became irrelevant. Early in the nineteenth century, white Americans imagined that the millennial transformation of the globe could be wrought solely through America’s moral example. But moral example gave way to force and violence as the myth of the Millennial Nation gave way to the doctrine of manifest destiny. By the early twentieth century, manifest destiny morphed into the American Dream. If manifest destiny had turned the millennial vision outward, inspiring the acquisition of both land and opportunity for economic investment abroad, the American Dream turned the millennial vision inward, inspiring new visions of opportunity at home. As the nation transitioned from millennial vision to manifest destiny to American dream, the myth of White Supremacy was the constant connecting factor that underpinned all three.
Jeehyun Lim
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780823275304
- eISBN:
- 9780823277032
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823275304.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
Chapter two examines the rhetorical and social construction of bilingual personhood as part of the American Dream through the debates on public bilingualism. The debates on bilingual education and ...
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Chapter two examines the rhetorical and social construction of bilingual personhood as part of the American Dream through the debates on public bilingualism. The debates on bilingual education and bilingualism as civil right in the 1960s and 1970s centered on what language befitted an American citizen concordant with the vision of the American Dream. The argument against public bilingualism viewed English as the colorblind language of the American Dream whereas the argument for public bilingualism presented the idea that the American Dream can be in many languages. While these two poles of opposition and advocacy are well-rehearsed positions in the social debates on bilingualism, both positions presuppose possessive individualism in the construction of bilingual personhood, which limits the parameters of public bilingualism.Less
Chapter two examines the rhetorical and social construction of bilingual personhood as part of the American Dream through the debates on public bilingualism. The debates on bilingual education and bilingualism as civil right in the 1960s and 1970s centered on what language befitted an American citizen concordant with the vision of the American Dream. The argument against public bilingualism viewed English as the colorblind language of the American Dream whereas the argument for public bilingualism presented the idea that the American Dream can be in many languages. While these two poles of opposition and advocacy are well-rehearsed positions in the social debates on bilingualism, both positions presuppose possessive individualism in the construction of bilingual personhood, which limits the parameters of public bilingualism.
Robert Wuthnow
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780691176864
- eISBN:
- 9781400888092
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691176864.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This introductory chapter discusses how Americans in the nineteenth century pursued the American Dream. It argues that moving the American Dream from the stratosphere in which it is often discussed ...
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This introductory chapter discusses how Americans in the nineteenth century pursued the American Dream. It argues that moving the American Dream from the stratosphere in which it is often discussed into the mundane realities of everyday life forces it to be considered differently. The topics of relevance cease to be the long-term trajectory through which protagonists rise from rags to riches and become instead questions about the immediate contexts in which people live. It suggests that what we might call middle-class respectability gets us further than continuing to discuss the American Dream as an ideal or philosophy of life. Middle-class respectability was something that people may have aspired to as an ideal, but it was modeled, learned, and exhibited in practice.Less
This introductory chapter discusses how Americans in the nineteenth century pursued the American Dream. It argues that moving the American Dream from the stratosphere in which it is often discussed into the mundane realities of everyday life forces it to be considered differently. The topics of relevance cease to be the long-term trajectory through which protagonists rise from rags to riches and become instead questions about the immediate contexts in which people live. It suggests that what we might call middle-class respectability gets us further than continuing to discuss the American Dream as an ideal or philosophy of life. Middle-class respectability was something that people may have aspired to as an ideal, but it was modeled, learned, and exhibited in practice.
Eric S. Jenkins
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780748695478
- eISBN:
- 9781474406413
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748695478.001.0001
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
Special Affects retells the history of the emergence of classical Hollywood cinema and Disney animation from the perspective of affect theory. It argues that these media enabled new modes of ...
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Special Affects retells the history of the emergence of classical Hollywood cinema and Disney animation from the perspective of affect theory. It argues that these media enabled new modes of perception that sparked special affects such as the astonishment of early cinema, the marvel of early animation, the fantastic in classical cinema, and wonder in classical Disney. These special affects become mined by culture industries and translated into modes of consumerism and consumer ideology, as represented here by different versions of the American Dream narrative. This retelling of media history concludes that there is an inherent connection between media and consumerism, since media enable new modes of perception that can spark special affections that both attract and train consumers. The book also concludes that, from the perspective of affect, Disney animation constitutes a unique contribution to consumer culture, one distinct from the contributions of classical Hollywood with which Disney is so often conflated. The book ends by considering how this retelling of media history might inform current changes to animation, cinema and consumer culture due to the emergence of digital animation.Less
Special Affects retells the history of the emergence of classical Hollywood cinema and Disney animation from the perspective of affect theory. It argues that these media enabled new modes of perception that sparked special affects such as the astonishment of early cinema, the marvel of early animation, the fantastic in classical cinema, and wonder in classical Disney. These special affects become mined by culture industries and translated into modes of consumerism and consumer ideology, as represented here by different versions of the American Dream narrative. This retelling of media history concludes that there is an inherent connection between media and consumerism, since media enable new modes of perception that can spark special affections that both attract and train consumers. The book also concludes that, from the perspective of affect, Disney animation constitutes a unique contribution to consumer culture, one distinct from the contributions of classical Hollywood with which Disney is so often conflated. The book ends by considering how this retelling of media history might inform current changes to animation, cinema and consumer culture due to the emergence of digital animation.
Christina M. Greer
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199989300
- eISBN:
- 9780199346332
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199989300.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream explores the political significance of ethnicity for new immigrant and native-born blacks. Utilizing ...
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Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream explores the political significance of ethnicity for new immigrant and native-born blacks. Utilizing an original survey of a New York City labor population and multiple national data sources, Black Ethnics concludes that racial and ethnic identities affect the ways in which black ethnic groups conceptualize their possibilities for advancement and placement within the American polity. The ethnic and racial dual identity for blacks leads to significant distinctions in political behavior, feelings of incorporation, and policy choices in ways not previously theorized. The steady immigration of black populations from Africa and the Caribbean over the past few decades has fundamentally changed the racial, ethnic, and political landscape in the United States. An important question for social scientists is how these “new” blacks will behave politically. With increases in immigration of black ethnic populations in the United States, the political, social, and economic integration processes of black immigrants does not completely echo that of native-born American blacks. The emergent complexity of black intraracial identity and negotiations within the American polity raise new questions about black political incorporation, assimilation, acceptance, and fulfillment of the American Dream. By comparing Afro-Caribbean and African groups to native-born blacks, this book develops a more nuanced and accurate understanding of the “new black America” coalition politics in the twenty-first century.Less
Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream explores the political significance of ethnicity for new immigrant and native-born blacks. Utilizing an original survey of a New York City labor population and multiple national data sources, Black Ethnics concludes that racial and ethnic identities affect the ways in which black ethnic groups conceptualize their possibilities for advancement and placement within the American polity. The ethnic and racial dual identity for blacks leads to significant distinctions in political behavior, feelings of incorporation, and policy choices in ways not previously theorized. The steady immigration of black populations from Africa and the Caribbean over the past few decades has fundamentally changed the racial, ethnic, and political landscape in the United States. An important question for social scientists is how these “new” blacks will behave politically. With increases in immigration of black ethnic populations in the United States, the political, social, and economic integration processes of black immigrants does not completely echo that of native-born American blacks. The emergent complexity of black intraracial identity and negotiations within the American polity raise new questions about black political incorporation, assimilation, acceptance, and fulfillment of the American Dream. By comparing Afro-Caribbean and African groups to native-born blacks, this book develops a more nuanced and accurate understanding of the “new black America” coalition politics in the twenty-first century.
Sonya Salamon and Katherine MacTavish
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781501713217
- eISBN:
- 9781501709685
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501713217.001.0001
- Subject:
- Anthropology, American and Canadian Cultural Anthropology
When a rural family of modest means buys a new or used mobile home, unless cash is paid up-front, they become entangled with the highly profitable mobile home industrial complex, made up of home ...
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When a rural family of modest means buys a new or used mobile home, unless cash is paid up-front, they become entangled with the highly profitable mobile home industrial complex, made up of home producers, dealers, financiers, and trailer park entrepreneurs. For most working-poor rural families, with few exceptions, this engagement means being caught in an expensive trap as they chase their American Dream for housing. Rural trailer parks house approximately 12 million people, and we describe this population’s diversity across rural Illinois, New Mexico and North Carolina. We ask whether living in a rural trailer park has a negative neighborhood effect on working poor families, children and youth. We found only Whites report being stigmatized as trailer trash in contrast to Hispanics and African Americans who did not report this experience. Stigmatization negatively affects youth in school and parents in the adjacent rural community.Less
When a rural family of modest means buys a new or used mobile home, unless cash is paid up-front, they become entangled with the highly profitable mobile home industrial complex, made up of home producers, dealers, financiers, and trailer park entrepreneurs. For most working-poor rural families, with few exceptions, this engagement means being caught in an expensive trap as they chase their American Dream for housing. Rural trailer parks house approximately 12 million people, and we describe this population’s diversity across rural Illinois, New Mexico and North Carolina. We ask whether living in a rural trailer park has a negative neighborhood effect on working poor families, children and youth. We found only Whites report being stigmatized as trailer trash in contrast to Hispanics and African Americans who did not report this experience. Stigmatization negatively affects youth in school and parents in the adjacent rural community.
Mugambi Jouet
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780520293298
- eISBN:
- 9780520966468
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520293298.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
Millions of white working-class and middle-class Americans vote against their own economic interest by defending policies that hurt them while profiting the rich, including the 1% wealthiest ...
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Millions of white working-class and middle-class Americans vote against their own economic interest by defending policies that hurt them while profiting the rich, including the 1% wealthiest Americans. Several factors help explain this peculiar dimension of U.S. politics: myopia fostered by anti-intellectualism; the relationship between religious fundamentalism and free-market fundamentalism; blind faith in the American Dream; and how racism hinders economic solidarity.Less
Millions of white working-class and middle-class Americans vote against their own economic interest by defending policies that hurt them while profiting the rich, including the 1% wealthiest Americans. Several factors help explain this peculiar dimension of U.S. politics: myopia fostered by anti-intellectualism; the relationship between religious fundamentalism and free-market fundamentalism; blind faith in the American Dream; and how racism hinders economic solidarity.
Mark R. Rank and Thomas A. Hirschl
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- December 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199988488
- eISBN:
- 9780190218249
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199988488.003.0008
- Subject:
- Social Work, Social Policy, Research and Evaluation
Economic security is a key component of the American Dream. We examine patterns of economic security and insecurity across the life course, including the likelihood that Americans will experience ...
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Economic security is a key component of the American Dream. We examine patterns of economic security and insecurity across the life course, including the likelihood that Americans will experience poverty or near poverty, unemployment, the use of a social safety net program, or a combination of all three. We also estimate the likelihood of encountering another indicator of economic insecurity, asset poverty, and consider the probability of owning a home. We conclude that the ability to achieve long-term economic security across the life course has become challenging for many households. These developments threaten a fundamental bargain that is central to the American Dream: that economic security is the reward for hard work.Less
Economic security is a key component of the American Dream. We examine patterns of economic security and insecurity across the life course, including the likelihood that Americans will experience poverty or near poverty, unemployment, the use of a social safety net program, or a combination of all three. We also estimate the likelihood of encountering another indicator of economic insecurity, asset poverty, and consider the probability of owning a home. We conclude that the ability to achieve long-term economic security across the life course has become challenging for many households. These developments threaten a fundamental bargain that is central to the American Dream: that economic security is the reward for hard work.
John Mason Hart
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520223240
- eISBN:
- 9780520939295
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520223240.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Latin American History
The deep relationship between the United States and Mexico has had repercussions felt around the world. This chronicle of the economic and social connections between the two nations opens a new ...
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The deep relationship between the United States and Mexico has had repercussions felt around the world. This chronicle of the economic and social connections between the two nations opens a new window onto history from the Civil War to today and illuminates the course of events that made the United States a global empire. The Mexican Revolution, Manifest Destiny, World War II, and NAFTA are all part of the story, but this narrative transcends these moments of economic and political drama, resonating with the themes of wealth and power. Combining economic and historical analysis with personal memoirs and vivid descriptions of key episodes and players, this book is based on substantial amounts of previously unexplored source material. Recently declassified documents in the archives of the United States government have been examined for this book and the author has also traveled extensively in rural Mexico to uncover the rich sources for this gripping story of 135 years of intervention, cooperation, and corruption. Beginning just after the American Civil War, the book traces the activities of an elite group of financiers and industrialists who, sensing opportunities for wealth to the south, began to develop Mexico's infrastructure. It charts their activities through the pivotal regime of Porfirio Díaz, when Americans began to gain ownership of Mexico's natural resources, and through the Mexican Revolution, when Americans lost many of their holdings in Mexico. The book concentrates less on traditional political history in the twentieth century and more on the hidden interactions between Americans and Mexicans, especially the unfolding story of industrial production in Mexico for export to the United States. Throughout, this narrative illuminates the development and expansion of the American railroad, oil, mining, and banking industries. The book also shows how the export of the “American Dream” has shaped such areas as religion and work attitudes in Mexico. This book reveals much about the American psyche, especially the compulsion of American elites toward wealth, global power, and contact with other peoples, often in order to “save” them. These characteristics were first expressed internationally in Mexico, and the book shows that the Mexican experience was and continues to be a prototype for U.S. expansion around the world. This work demonstrates the often inconspicuous yet profoundly damaging impact of American investment in the underdeveloped countries of Latin America, Asia, and Africa.Less
The deep relationship between the United States and Mexico has had repercussions felt around the world. This chronicle of the economic and social connections between the two nations opens a new window onto history from the Civil War to today and illuminates the course of events that made the United States a global empire. The Mexican Revolution, Manifest Destiny, World War II, and NAFTA are all part of the story, but this narrative transcends these moments of economic and political drama, resonating with the themes of wealth and power. Combining economic and historical analysis with personal memoirs and vivid descriptions of key episodes and players, this book is based on substantial amounts of previously unexplored source material. Recently declassified documents in the archives of the United States government have been examined for this book and the author has also traveled extensively in rural Mexico to uncover the rich sources for this gripping story of 135 years of intervention, cooperation, and corruption. Beginning just after the American Civil War, the book traces the activities of an elite group of financiers and industrialists who, sensing opportunities for wealth to the south, began to develop Mexico's infrastructure. It charts their activities through the pivotal regime of Porfirio Díaz, when Americans began to gain ownership of Mexico's natural resources, and through the Mexican Revolution, when Americans lost many of their holdings in Mexico. The book concentrates less on traditional political history in the twentieth century and more on the hidden interactions between Americans and Mexicans, especially the unfolding story of industrial production in Mexico for export to the United States. Throughout, this narrative illuminates the development and expansion of the American railroad, oil, mining, and banking industries. The book also shows how the export of the “American Dream” has shaped such areas as religion and work attitudes in Mexico. This book reveals much about the American psyche, especially the compulsion of American elites toward wealth, global power, and contact with other peoples, often in order to “save” them. These characteristics were first expressed internationally in Mexico, and the book shows that the Mexican experience was and continues to be a prototype for U.S. expansion around the world. This work demonstrates the often inconspicuous yet profoundly damaging impact of American investment in the underdeveloped countries of Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
George Athan Billias
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814791073
- eISBN:
- 9780814739013
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814791073.003.0003
- Subject:
- Law, Constitutional and Administrative Law
This chapter examines the influence of American constitutionalism in Europe during the years 1776–1800, the so-called first peak period, or echo, of American constitutionalism abroad. It first ...
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This chapter examines the influence of American constitutionalism in Europe during the years 1776–1800, the so-called first peak period, or echo, of American constitutionalism abroad. It first considers two myths that emerged in the United States regarding American constitutionalism and their impact on European experiments in republicanism: the “cult of the constitution” and the “American Dream.” It then turns to the ideas of Thomas Paine, who proclaimed his principles of American constitutionalism first in Common Sense, published in January 1776, as well as the constitutional controversy pitting Paine against Edmund Burke. It also discusses the influence of American constitutionalism on European constitutions during the period 1787–1800, including those of France, and concludes with an analysis of the origins of the American Bill of Rights tradition and the influence of American constitutionalism in the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy.Less
This chapter examines the influence of American constitutionalism in Europe during the years 1776–1800, the so-called first peak period, or echo, of American constitutionalism abroad. It first considers two myths that emerged in the United States regarding American constitutionalism and their impact on European experiments in republicanism: the “cult of the constitution” and the “American Dream.” It then turns to the ideas of Thomas Paine, who proclaimed his principles of American constitutionalism first in Common Sense, published in January 1776, as well as the constitutional controversy pitting Paine against Edmund Burke. It also discusses the influence of American constitutionalism on European constitutions during the period 1787–1800, including those of France, and concludes with an analysis of the origins of the American Bill of Rights tradition and the influence of American constitutionalism in the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy.
Paula Rabinowitz
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- September 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781474439947
- eISBN:
- 9781474460101
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474439947.003.0003
- Subject:
- Film, Television and Radio, Film
This chapter argues that Barbara Kopple’s American Dream (1990) and Louis Malle’s God’s Country (1985), although quite different in tone and subject matter, presciently trace the outlines of current ...
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This chapter argues that Barbara Kopple’s American Dream (1990) and Louis Malle’s God’s Country (1985), although quite different in tone and subject matter, presciently trace the outlines of current political fragmentation and economic despair during the era of Donald Trump’s election and presidency. The chapter argues that if American Dream is a dystopian sequel to Harlan County USA, then God’s Country can be viewed as a portrait of a ragged social fabric barely covering the racism and anti-Semitism of the townspeople. Both films depend upon the kindness of strangers: the openness of citizens of “fly-over” America to outsiders—both Jews, a New Yorker and a Frenchman, with cameras, microphones and crew—who are at once keen observers of the subtle interactions among neighbors, friends, and adversaries and intimate participants in the day-to-day struggles that comprise a strike or a farm. Attentive to place, the chapter argues these films explore labor and affect through the presence of the camera.Less
This chapter argues that Barbara Kopple’s American Dream (1990) and Louis Malle’s God’s Country (1985), although quite different in tone and subject matter, presciently trace the outlines of current political fragmentation and economic despair during the era of Donald Trump’s election and presidency. The chapter argues that if American Dream is a dystopian sequel to Harlan County USA, then God’s Country can be viewed as a portrait of a ragged social fabric barely covering the racism and anti-Semitism of the townspeople. Both films depend upon the kindness of strangers: the openness of citizens of “fly-over” America to outsiders—both Jews, a New Yorker and a Frenchman, with cameras, microphones and crew—who are at once keen observers of the subtle interactions among neighbors, friends, and adversaries and intimate participants in the day-to-day struggles that comprise a strike or a farm. Attentive to place, the chapter argues these films explore labor and affect through the presence of the camera.
ALLEN JONES and Mark Naison
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780823231027
- eISBN:
- 9780823240821
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823231027.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, Social History
Of all the forces that influenced the formation of Allen Jones's life, none was more powerful than family. He was blessed to have several strong role models in his own household and extended family, ...
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Of all the forces that influenced the formation of Allen Jones's life, none was more powerful than family. He was blessed to have several strong role models in his own household and extended family, and one person whose example shaped his young mind most at this crucial stage of adolescence was his older sister. Patricia Margaret Jones, whom everyone called Pat, was a person of strong character and striking appearance even as a young girl. She went about her business and showed her determination to get out of the Projects and attain the comfortable middle-class life promised by the American Dream. When it came to her personal goals and to getting and keeping what she believed was hers, she was extremely focused and was willing to play hardball. She represented a new generation of women in the Lester Patterson Houses who knew what they wanted and went for it.Less
Of all the forces that influenced the formation of Allen Jones's life, none was more powerful than family. He was blessed to have several strong role models in his own household and extended family, and one person whose example shaped his young mind most at this crucial stage of adolescence was his older sister. Patricia Margaret Jones, whom everyone called Pat, was a person of strong character and striking appearance even as a young girl. She went about her business and showed her determination to get out of the Projects and attain the comfortable middle-class life promised by the American Dream. When it came to her personal goals and to getting and keeping what she believed was hers, she was extremely focused and was willing to play hardball. She represented a new generation of women in the Lester Patterson Houses who knew what they wanted and went for it.
Beth Tompkins Bates
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807835647
- eISBN:
- 9781469601571
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807837450_bates
- Subject:
- History, African-American History
In the 1920s, Henry Ford hired thousands of African American men for his open-shop system of auto manufacturing. This move was a rejection of the notion that better jobs were for white men only. This ...
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In the 1920s, Henry Ford hired thousands of African American men for his open-shop system of auto manufacturing. This move was a rejection of the notion that better jobs were for white men only. This book explains how black Detroiters, newly arrived from the South, seized the economic opportunities offered by Ford in the hope of gaining greater economic security. As these workers came to realize that Ford's anti-union “American Plan” did not allow them full access to the American Dream, their loyalty eroded, and they sought empowerment by pursuing a broad activist agenda. This, in turn, led them to play a pivotal role in the United Auto Workers' challenge to Ford's interests. In order to fully understand this complex shift, the book traces allegiances among Detroit's African American community as reflected in its opposition to the Ku Klux Klan, challenges to unfair housing practices, and demands for increased and effective political participation. It demonstrates how by World War II Henry Ford and his company had helped kindle the civil rights movement in Detroit without intending to do so.Less
In the 1920s, Henry Ford hired thousands of African American men for his open-shop system of auto manufacturing. This move was a rejection of the notion that better jobs were for white men only. This book explains how black Detroiters, newly arrived from the South, seized the economic opportunities offered by Ford in the hope of gaining greater economic security. As these workers came to realize that Ford's anti-union “American Plan” did not allow them full access to the American Dream, their loyalty eroded, and they sought empowerment by pursuing a broad activist agenda. This, in turn, led them to play a pivotal role in the United Auto Workers' challenge to Ford's interests. In order to fully understand this complex shift, the book traces allegiances among Detroit's African American community as reflected in its opposition to the Ku Klux Klan, challenges to unfair housing practices, and demands for increased and effective political participation. It demonstrates how by World War II Henry Ford and his company had helped kindle the civil rights movement in Detroit without intending to do so.
Carol Graham
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780691169460
- eISBN:
- 9781400884971
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691169460.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy
This chapter goes on to ask who still believes in the American Dream. It begins with a review of what we know about the relationship between inequality, well-being, and attitudes about future ...
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This chapter goes on to ask who still believes in the American Dream. It begins with a review of what we know about the relationship between inequality, well-being, and attitudes about future mobility. It summarizes what we know from survey data on attitudes about inequality and opportunity in the United States, and then places those attitudes in the context of those in other countries and regions, based on new data and analysis with a focus on individuals' beliefs in the role of hard work in future success. Evidence suggests that the American Dream is very unevenly shared across socioeconomic cohorts. The poor and the rich in the United States lead very different lives, with the former having a much harder time looking beyond day-to-day struggles and associated high levels of stress, while the latter is able to pursue much better futures for themselves and their children, with the gaps between the two likely to increase even more in the future.Less
This chapter goes on to ask who still believes in the American Dream. It begins with a review of what we know about the relationship between inequality, well-being, and attitudes about future mobility. It summarizes what we know from survey data on attitudes about inequality and opportunity in the United States, and then places those attitudes in the context of those in other countries and regions, based on new data and analysis with a focus on individuals' beliefs in the role of hard work in future success. Evidence suggests that the American Dream is very unevenly shared across socioeconomic cohorts. The poor and the rich in the United States lead very different lives, with the former having a much harder time looking beyond day-to-day struggles and associated high levels of stress, while the latter is able to pursue much better futures for themselves and their children, with the gaps between the two likely to increase even more in the future.
Steven Earnshaw
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780719099618
- eISBN:
- 9781526141934
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719099618.003.0009
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
Fred Ex is the committed drinking protagonist of Frederick Exley’s A Fan’s Notes, in thrall to the career of the New York Giants footballer Frank Gifford. He realises he will never have fame of his ...
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Fred Ex is the committed drinking protagonist of Frederick Exley’s A Fan’s Notes, in thrall to the career of the New York Giants footballer Frank Gifford. He realises he will never have fame of his own, and over time discovers himself to be alienated from all aspects of modern life and the American dream. The chapter analyses how these elements relate to Existential authenticity, including the novel’s play around the idea of ‘fictional memoir’ and autofiction. There are periods of depression for Fred Ex which lead to being committed to a mental asylum, and the chapter covers the philosophical issues around agency in relation to drinking and mental well-being. This chapter also looks at the protagonist as a developing writer since the novel is partly a künstlerroman, and how this in turn is entangled with drinking.Less
Fred Ex is the committed drinking protagonist of Frederick Exley’s A Fan’s Notes, in thrall to the career of the New York Giants footballer Frank Gifford. He realises he will never have fame of his own, and over time discovers himself to be alienated from all aspects of modern life and the American dream. The chapter analyses how these elements relate to Existential authenticity, including the novel’s play around the idea of ‘fictional memoir’ and autofiction. There are periods of depression for Fred Ex which lead to being committed to a mental asylum, and the chapter covers the philosophical issues around agency in relation to drinking and mental well-being. This chapter also looks at the protagonist as a developing writer since the novel is partly a künstlerroman, and how this in turn is entangled with drinking.
Meghan Condon and Amber Wichowsky
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- May 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780226691732
- eISBN:
- 9780226691909
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226691909.003.0008
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
What kinds of social comparisons are encouraged by an increasingly unequal America? This chapter explores how class segregation and media portrayals of wealth combine to push the American imagination ...
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What kinds of social comparisons are encouraged by an increasingly unequal America? This chapter explores how class segregation and media portrayals of wealth combine to push the American imagination away from contrast-focused upward social comparison with the wealthy elite. As inequality has grown over the last half century, so has economic residential segregation, insulating the majority of Americans from the sort of social experiences that make inequality feel real and meaningful. Exploring media portrayals of the elite, including celebrity culture and reality television, they show that increasingly, Americans’ opportunities for interaction with the rich are not social per se, but parasocial, conducted via imagined relationships and comparisons with celebrities through social and traditional media. Rather than offering opportunities for upward social contrast, these parasocial experiences are deliberately crafted to do the opposite: portraying the rich as morally or intellectually inferior, drawing attention to similarities between the elite and everyday Americans, or making distances seem small to spark economic aspiration and exploit the appeal of the American Dream. Finally, the authors demonstrate how race and class segregation distort white Americans’ perceptions of status, and how media use race and gender strategically to draw attention away from contrast-based thinking about the wealthy.Less
What kinds of social comparisons are encouraged by an increasingly unequal America? This chapter explores how class segregation and media portrayals of wealth combine to push the American imagination away from contrast-focused upward social comparison with the wealthy elite. As inequality has grown over the last half century, so has economic residential segregation, insulating the majority of Americans from the sort of social experiences that make inequality feel real and meaningful. Exploring media portrayals of the elite, including celebrity culture and reality television, they show that increasingly, Americans’ opportunities for interaction with the rich are not social per se, but parasocial, conducted via imagined relationships and comparisons with celebrities through social and traditional media. Rather than offering opportunities for upward social contrast, these parasocial experiences are deliberately crafted to do the opposite: portraying the rich as morally or intellectually inferior, drawing attention to similarities between the elite and everyday Americans, or making distances seem small to spark economic aspiration and exploit the appeal of the American Dream. Finally, the authors demonstrate how race and class segregation distort white Americans’ perceptions of status, and how media use race and gender strategically to draw attention away from contrast-based thinking about the wealthy.
