Introduction
It is no secret that the expression of the American Dream has become a famous and motivating concept. The fact is that people stubbornly believe that, regardless of the type of startup they have or their history and origin, they can still achieve their dreams of one daya being in America. This phenomenon is justified by the fact that America is a meritocracy. In other words, regardless of their background and social status in the past, only those who work hard and study well deserve the best.
Even though everyone believes in equal opportunities, there is another point: America is not a meritocracy. This paper claims that meritocracy does not exist in America because school textbooks do not tell the truth, discrimination against people based on their financial situation continues, and the difference in people’s earnings is enormous.
Critique of Meritocracy in American Society
Educational Silence on Social Inequality
Firstly, Loewen claims that American schools do not provide books about social inequalities. According to him, school textbooks say that education is distributed equally, and everyone has the same opportunity to become rich. However, it is not mentioned anywhere that schools with limited financial options operate in low-income areas (Loewen 245-254).
In other words, educational institutions often remain silent about inequality, as if it were a secret. For this reason, people with low social status often do not want to discuss it due to ignorance or fear of the authorities. If textbooks portray the real lives of people and their stories, it becomes clear that class inequality persists and is transmitted from generation to generation. Thus, meritocracy exists in people’s beliefs and does not coincide with real life.
Economic Stratification and the Decline of Equal Opportunity
Secondly, there are fewer independent entrepreneurs in America than in the past or now compared to the UK. Managers in the USA earn approximately one hundred times more than the average resident, while in Japan, managers earn only a few dozen times more (Loewen 245-254). This enormous difference confirms that the rich part of the American population remains just as rich. In contrast, the poor part of the population remains poor due to their capabilities and low salaries.
According to historians, even during colonization, wealth was distributed more or less evenly than it is now. Moreover, political changes have led to uneven wealth among the population (Loewen 245-254). The oligarchy is widely established, which has led to discrimination against those who earn less. All this suggests that in America, different opportunities are available depending on social status, resulting in a non-meritocratic system.
Class Discrimination as a Persistent Cause of Poverty
Thirdly, class discrimination is a significant contributor to poverty in general. Even though people are violently discussing and fighting racial and gender discrimination, the importance of social or class discrimination is kept silent. People believe in meritocracy and are convinced of its existence (Loewen 245-254). Thus, the system is a leading cause of poverty, as it prevents people from crossing the poverty threshold and leaves them without sufficient funds. Meritocracy is an illusion; therefore, people do not focus on the importance of this problem, but rather on other forms of discrimination.
Conclusion
In conclusion, starting with school books, there is a propaganda and persuasion of the equality of people and their equal opportunities on the path to financial prosperity. However, this theory does not correspond to reality, and poor people often remain at the same level from generation to generation, a fact that is often kept silent. In addition, the difference in earnings between the rich and poor segments of society is noticeable, suggesting that the lower strata have fewer opportunities for education. The government system affects the community’s poverty more than any other form of discrimination against people. Thus, meritocracy is merely a belief; class inequality persists, and individuals have varying opportunities to succeed.
Work Cited
Loewen, James, W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New Press, 2008.