“Do you agree or disagree: Th e American Dream has become impossible for most people to achieve?” Agree, 54 percent; disagree, 45 percent; don’t know/undecided/refused, 2 percent
Usually opinions are based on personal experiences. On the way a person has been treated by the public, an employer, the educational system. What factors influenced the answers to agree with the question?
A 2008 survey makes the point: 84 percent agreed that the American Dream is “a never-ending pursuit [and] I can always do more to achieve it”
As ideologies and beliefs change and shift overtime in the economy, does this mean personal dreams will change? And does this make American Dreams a "never-ending pursuit"?
Th e American Dream is itself a metaphor for occupational success, a metaphor that works for the winners of the educational and occupational career game, but that remains elusive for growing numbers of men and women across age, class, educational, racial, ethnic, and geographical divides”
Is the American Dream a label slapped over the success of those who have reached their goals, or a name for an unattainable goal for those who never reached fulfillment?
Adams penned these words at a time when economic fear was rampant, the stock market had collapsed two years before, the inef-fectual Herbert Hoover was president, and the nation’s very survival seemed very much in doubt.
These facts that are presented show a kind of persistence in the American Dream and how many obstacles it has overcome. Americans had a lot of trust in the American Dream after experiencing the tragedies of the past. .
THE AMERICAN DREAM remains a vibrant concept that Amer-icans comprehend and defi ne in various ways as relevant to their own life experiences.
The American Dream is completely based on the our personal history and experiences. Everyone's viewpoints on it will be different. It comes with the diverse backgrounds of Americans themselves.