AP Seminar Final
Matt Mackeben
Step 1
My Research Question
Is the American Dream still achievable in today's society?
Step 2
Part A - Identify the various lenses and perspectives
Social & Cultural
-Different cultural backgrounds
Artistic & Philosophical
-Is following the American Dream really best option to become successful in today's society?
Ethical
-could go against a person's morals of how much time should be devoted to work
Economic
-It is possible to make a lot of money purely through hard work
Environmental
-Should have had a proper education
-Less fortunate people may not have the same opportunities
Futuristic
-Budget cuts could result in a cut salary
Political & Historical
-The definition has changed over time
Scientific
Part B - Rationalize your top 3 choices
Economic Lense
Environmental Lense
Social/Cultural Lense
Part C - Sources
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/rich-kids-stay-rich-poor-kids-stay-poor/
Ben Casselman is the chief economics writer for Five Thirty Eight. Andrew Flowers is the quantitative editor for Five Thirty Eight. Both writers believe that the rich tend to stay rich and that the poor tend to stay poor. They have found plenty of research to support the argument that they are making. Wealthier children tend to be more likely to go to college, get a job, and make more money. At the very beginning of the argument they state “In the U.S., where you come from [...] plays a major role in determining where you will end up later in life”(Casselman & Flowers, 2016).
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howard-steven-friedman/class-mobility_b_1676931.html
Howard Steven Friedman is a statistician and health economist for the United Nations and teaches at Columbia University. In Howard’s article “The American Myth Of Social Mobility”, he claims that social mobility in America isn’t as realistic as citizens like to believe that it is. America is supposed to be the land of opportunity, so it should have the highest social mobility rates. The rate of people going from the poorest quintile in the U.S. to the richest quintile is only “7.9 percent, far lower than that of the other countries, where rates ranged from 10.9 percent to 14.4 percent”(Friedman, 2012).
http://www.newsweek.com/why-rich-stay-rich-and-poor-stay-poor-363611
Maya Wesby has written many articles that cover a wide variety of topics, from economics, politics, and foreign customs to name a few. Maya claims that the rich stay rich because the money that they have can be used to ensure that their children have plenty of tools to become just as successful as they are or more. Because of this, “a child born into a high-income family has easy access to luxurious resources”(Wesby, 2015).