Marielle Thai
Research Mentor(s): Amy Hughes
Mentor Department: Theatre & Drama
Authors:
Session: Session 1 (9:00am – 9:50am)
Presentation Type: Poster 22
Abstract
For centuries, the American Dream has existed as a myriad of things: a construct, a mindset, an act, and an excuse. Though a tempting deal (if someone is talented, hard working, and smart enough, they will be rewarded by society, regardless of societal setbacks such as gender, race, or class), it cannot be claimed as reality. Instead, the American Dream is a neat bundle of cultural myths – meritocracy, individualism, materialism, to name a few – held up by subtle (or even invisible) exercises of white male supremacy and the systematic exclusion of marginalized people (such as women, POC, queer people, or people with disabilities or lower-class backgrounds). Even if criticisms of this ideology have become more frequent in recent decades, the idea that hard work is the only tool one needs to achieve upward social mobility continues to pervade the US cultural consciousness through media, politics, and daily conversation. By observing cultural beliefs such as meritocracy, social mobility, and individualism from the perspectives of both the oppressed and the privileged, we can confront the true roots of the American Dream in hopes of replacing this facade with a more complete, nuanced, and productive understanding of how American society punishes or rewards an individual according to their backgrounds, giving some a natural head start while others must work harder, run faster, and think smarter to catch up. In realizing the true nature of American social mobility and acknowledging the forces that allow it to continue to function the way that it does, we can become more conscious of the way we judge ourselves and others.
