Maggies American Dream - Case Study Example

Maggie’s American Dream Since the twenty-first century, the American Dream remains a significant element of national identity. But, self-identity in itself is a complicated issue. People have used a variety of factors to define who they are. These fundamentals range from their names, blood groups, choices of religion, the language they speak, where they live, the groups or communities to which they belong, or some combination of these. However, there is no one American Dream. Instead, there are many rudiments that form the appeal of what it is each simultaneously resting on the variety and specificity. Generally, Maggie’s family viewed it as a dream of living a better life by being wealthier and happier. (Cullen 2017) Suggest that if each citizen regardless of their rank in society, can live a better life then that is the most significant contribution to the welfare of the world. As America became an independent nation, rebels resisted the idea of an American Dream. However remarkable democrats and equal rights activists, have fought to protect the dream from those that appeared to overwhelm it. The result of the effort of the activists is the ability of families like the Maggie’s family to achieve their American dream. Amidst of racial and poverty-related conflicts she worked hard to move her family to higher socio-economic ranks in the society. They defined the American dream as the freedom of upward mobility, home ownership, equal rights, and access to quality education and some extent political, religious human rights. Their vision of upward mobility is personified in the principles of Abraham Lincoln. They wanted to get out of the poverty status in the south and be able to afford a better life. They strived to provide three standard meals, education for their children and other privileges of being. Another of their dream was home ownership. It was and still is a dream that transformed many from having a stead type of life to a suburb lifestyles. And, Maggie’s family desired that kind of transformation. Lastly, the most intense dream that is far from being realized to date is that of equality. It was very well articulated by the famous activist Martin Luther King Jr. Maggie’s family lived among a community of racial discrimination and deculturation in the south. Consequently, they faced the disadvantage of not getting opportunities that the whites did. They were looked down up as the less privileged family that could not accomplish what the white people did. Presently, this is the most modernized dream, i.e., “Dream of the Coast’ as defined by (Cullen 2017). It is a quest for personal fulfillment through the attainment of equal rights and opportunities. For instance, in the video ‘Going to Chicago’ shows Africans Americans leaving the south where they worked in the cotton fields to migrate to Chicago for a better life (Gottlieb, 1995) The achievement of the American Dream by Maggie’s family was successful although it was a challenging process. They came from the rural South where they battled proliferating poverty and racism. She made her ultimate goal to attain financial expertise so that she would later giver her children the best lives. She dreamt of providing her children with a standard lifestyle that was almost unattainable among most black and white families in the years of depression. The video ‘American Winter’ demonstrates how difficult it was for people to survive after the great recession. It shows the impact of the decline of the middle class and how children longed to go to college and have a good life. Fortunately, Maggie achieved her dreams and ended up educating her five children who have thirteen college degrees altogether. However, it is important to note that success does not accommodate an infinite range of meanings because it is circumscribed by the background of a situation. In the context of Maggie’s family, the personal achievement of her family’s upward social or economic mobility was vital. It was a quest for personal honor, intellectual excellence, and financial success. This remains the most valued parental legacy of Maggie's children in our society today. Various aspects can indicate the level of success or failure. It can be the social status in society, the achievement of the goals or objectives of a person such as education aims, organization or country, gaining fame or popularity, or owning property such as a home. People have begun to notice and compete for the achievement of the above-stated forms of success after the World War II (Ghosh 2013). They signified the dream of a comfortable middle-class lifestyle that everyone strived to achieve and still do today. In America today, it is fair to state that majority of the people have achieved the American Dream. There is freedom of choice to be and support democrats and republicans without being coerced into any side. Political parties have emerged each with its agenda for the country of what they believe will drive the nation forward. The competition for political power involves the public and is not dictatorial. Thus, political freedom is a success though there are negative issues that persist. For instance the use of political power to formulate laws and policies that do not represent the views of the general public but is meant to serve that of the few powerful in society. Also, regarding religion freedom, the citizens have the right to worship how they choose. The law allows the formation of faith-based churches and institutions that bring together people to worship and fellowship together. Upward social mobility refers to the shift of individuals, families, households, within or between social strata in society. It is the ability of people to move upward or downward in status based on wealth, occupation, education, or other social variables. In the American society, a person’s achievement can be rewarded by upward social mobility. In this respect, Maggie’s family achievement of the American Dream was significant. As a black family that lived among white communities, they were able to reach and surpass the status of some of the white folk. In today’s society, there is evidence of minority communities such as Black and Latino's communities being just as well of as the whites and even taking lead roles. For instance in politics, America has had a black president, Obama. The aspect of freedom equality goes hand in hand with social mobility. In the recent decades, the recognition of minority groups is palpable. The women, old folks, gay and lesbian communities, and people of color are recognizable in society due to their attainment of success in the work that they do. Although discriminations of less advantaged groups still exist, equality freedom is successful to some extent. Maggie utilized various institutional structures that helped them to achieve their dream. But at the same time, some structures hindered their journey to the achievement of their dream. The first is the structure of schooling. Maggie was successful enough to educate all her five children. She had an unstoppable pride and drove to be monetarily stable so that she could take her children to school in a society where blacks did not get an education in the depression years. However, she took the chance to educate her youngsters up to the college level where they attained multiple honors. In the present day, black children still attend a segregated school and undergo significantly less mobility than whites. Upward mobility has always defined the American Dream. However, it is still difficult for black Americans, to get into the middle class, and a middle-class lifestyle up to date. Secondly, the employment structure played a role in the hindrance in their chase for the dream. Getting a job in order to earn a living was difficult for them. For instance, her father worked under unendurable working conditions at a steel mill. The ergonomics were so harsh that he had a premature death. The employment opportunity discrimination among the black families like Cormer’s limited their ability to live the kind of lies they desired. It was a system that paid them less income hence, limited their achievement of the American dream. The occupation structure and systems shaped their lives in such a way that it limited them and made them primitive to the whites. Such harsh working conditions were shaped by the socio historical context of black people being primitive. For instance the case scenarios of World War I and II. The minority communities were made to work under harsh conditions while the white enjoyed white collar jobs and maintained comfortable lifestyles. The low income and poor living conditions that the minority groups undergo motivate them to look for other opportunities. One of these opportunities is to serve in the military as demonstrated in the video ‘Where Soldiers Come From’. (Cormer 2011) states that one of the motivating factors is to earn some college tuition fee so that they can study because being educated signifies an achievement of the American Dream. References. Cyril Ghosh. 2013. The politics of the American Dream. Democratic inclusion in contemporary American political culture. Comer, J. P. (1988). Maggie's American dream: The life and times of a Black family. Dutton Adult. Jim Cullen. (2003). The American Dream A Short History of an Idea That Shaped a Nation Gottlieb, P. (1995). Goin'to Chicago. Read More