What Happens to the American Dream in Recession?

1.-According to this article,what is the classic definition of the American Dream? Do you think that this dream (as it is classically defined) often comes true ? Why or Why not ? The classic definition of American Dream is that it is possible to start out poor in the United States , work hard and become rich. Nowadays this definition is different because now is harder to achive or to become rich , you can have a house and your family but it ir really hard to be rich.

2.-Why do you think more people believe in the American Dream today than they did four years ago , when our economic outlook was much brighter? We think that now people have more hope than before,the dream has always been there with everybody , but the hope makes the people think that they will achieve their own dream at some point .Also because nowadays there is a lot of publicity and games that make people hold on to their expectatives as well as their dream .

3.-Describe the shift in the definition of the American Dream over the past four years . What do you think accounts for this change ? The definition shift from an aspect about financial security and a steady job to an aspect related to freedom and opportunities in other words fewer people are pegging their dream to material success and more people are pegging it to abstract values . We think that this shift is due to the people that realize that they wouldn’t be able to become rich ,so, they shift their dream to another aspect that is also important in their life as it is, a stable family , a home , but focusing in the idea of freedom and different opportunities.

4.- Which definitions of the American Dream resonate most with you? Why? The definitions we choose are: “freedom to live our own life “ “some one could start from nothing “ “that everybody has a fair chance to succeed” “to become whatever I want to be “ Mainly because all of this definitions envolves opportunities and equality in terms of creating our own future . Also we think that it is important that everybody feels free to have their own goals ,no matter what these goals might be ,but always having in main that if we have the possibility and the freedom to choose what we want and what we want to become, is important that we do it in the best way possible that means working in the right way and being the best of whatever you want to do.

5.-Why do you think Barry Glassner believes that it would be difficult to find a different country where so many people believe in possibilities even in dire circumstances ?Do you agree with him? Why or why not? If we look back to the history of the United States we can see that it has always being a land of opportunities as well as a land of immigrants and it is part of his culture to provide opportunities as well as different mentalities from the people, makes America a place for opportunities and dreams . Because of this most of the people see America as a land for creating a new life where you can becaome anything that you want , and thanks to the variety of his culture it makes it more atractive to the rest of the people .

Members: Melissa Gallardo, Nicol Tapia.