The Power of Belief in the American Dream: The Effect of Race and Class

• In Event: 078 - Section on Sociology of Culture Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 13. Values, Race, and Gender

Abstract

Income inequality is at a modern high in the US and the economic downturn known as the “Great Recession,” is still fresh in many people’s minds. Given these economic transformations, this study examines what factors alter belief in the American Dream in the contemporary period (1990-2012). Logistic regression models are used to estimate associations between the time period of the survey (The 90s, after the recession of 2001, or after the "Great Recession"), objective class indicators, race, ethnicity and immigrant status on belief in the American Dream using three measures of the American Dream: 1) a self-reflective belief in upward mobility, 2) a global belief in meritocracy, and 3) a global belief in opportunity. While education has a positive effect on belief in one's own chances at upward mobility, more education is associate with a decline in belief in meritocracy overall. Additionally, blacks are more positive about their own chances at the Dream than whites, although they are more pessimistic about the overall Dream than whites. Additionally while belief in the one's own upward mobility chances decline with the presence of a recession, greater belief in the Dream generally after the Great Recession than in periods before it shows the resiliency and staying power of the Dream of meritocracy and opportunity.

Author

• George Ellerbach, University of Iowa