Because Shift Happens.

It took our group a while to understand exactly what our main objective would be in presenting this project and how we would achieve this. After a long and bewildering week, our goal was finally clear. We unanimously agreed to focus on the changing perception of the American Dream through some of the most crucial decades in our nation's history beginning with the 1950s and up till present times as well as some influential figures who have helped shape how we see this idea. Thus we will make great use of this blog to explain the ever evolving idea of the American Dream. We hope you enjoy,

Sincerely,

The GLIDES American Dream team.

Myths Distorting the True Image of the American Dream

The image of the “land of opportunity,” built on the hard work of enterprising immigrants, is a cornerstone of American history as taught in classrooms and as handed down from generation to generation. Yet throughout its history, American society has been divided by questions of equal opportunity, from slavery to the women’s rights and civil rights movements to the recent debates about immigration laws.
In what ways have any efforts you've witnessed to improve society fallen short? Do you believe American society has gotten worse in some way?

Literrally, what is the "American Dream" ?

This term was started by writer James Truslow Adams in his book "Epic America" written in 1931. In it he states that the American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position."
Although the term was first used in the 1930's, it seems that even our founding fathers had some idea of how this "dream" would be defined. Thus, the Declaration of Independence was put into place to protect the right to a "dream" by all. It was the first time a document like this had been produced favoring the common man over the elite, as no other nation had ever written something like it. "…held certain truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."
Is this your American Dream? Define your interpretation of the American Dream.

Capitalism: the new faith that unifies American society?

Is the American Dream solely based on money and capitalism, disregarding programs of the welfare and aid to other misfortunes?After all , is it not an ethical and moral obligation to return the fortunes that we owe society with?

>Link to Source