Has The American Dream Changed Research Paper

Jaylyn Purdy Rhonda Kendrick Sociology 26 April 2018

Has the American Dream Changed?

The life of an American has always been viewed as better than the life of someone from another country because of the rights and freedom given to the people living in the United States. Americans are given the right to speak and to do whatever they want as long as it does not harm another human being or well any living thing. Every since people started to arrive in the area that is now known as the United States , people saw it as the land of hopes and dreams and where anything in their wildest fantasies could come true. Over time this land of hope , developed the American Dream. The American Dream meant that perfect home

In the American Dream it was very important that you were able to support yourself and your family. Around the 1950’s after the Great Depression saving your money was seen as a very important thing in life. This was due to all the struggle that the prior generation had seen and had to struggle to survive everyday. They instilled the meaning of always having money put aside and to live within your means so that you could always support yourself. “Another large factor is financial security, which continues to play a large role in big decisions like raising a family and buying a home. At one point in time, these were the two things that defined what the American Dream entailed.” As shown in the quote, being financial secure was a big deal ,but now it is an almost impossible thin. In the present generation the American Dream involves having the biggest house the newest phone and car and the name brand clothing. About 80 Percent of Americans are in debt. This is because the are living above their means and they have to keep borrowing more and more money just to stay afloat and to feel better about themselves. A person will get a thrill by going and buying that new phone or car ,but in reality another something will be coming out in the next week. The American Dream has drastically changed from living within your means to buying what makes

As most would think people view the American Dream it is seen as having those two kids. A boy and a girl who are smart and sweet. The view of how people view family today is drastically different. A family does not just involve two kids and a mom and dad. It involves say grandparents and the extended family ,and also it involves having step siblings or adopted brothers and sisters now. There is still the nuclear family out there ,but now it not the norm of having a family. “Owning a home, which became central to discussions of the dream during the 1980s, and having a good job are no longer the core components to the public’s understanding of what it means to chase or live the American dream. Fewer than 11 percent of the respondents to a new Pew Research Center survey on the American dream thought wealth was an essential component of that vision. Less than half thought owning a home was. Instead, most believed that personal freedom and a good family life were much more important.” Back when the American dream term was coined it was solely on material things more than the emotional things.. It was an important piece ,but not the majority of what made the American Dream. In this generation the American Dream is focused very strongly on the thing called family . The differences in parenting styles show the drastic change. Parents are more involved in their kids lives from PTA meetings, to games ,and sitting down