Sociation Today Spring/Summer 2013

Show Me the Money: How College Students Perceive the American Dream

by

Christine Wernet

University of South Carolina Aiken

Introduction

The central components of the American Dream have persisted in American culture over the course of the last two centuries. Adams (1931) defined the American Dream as "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement…regardless of [circumstances at birth]" (p.214-215). More recently in national polls about the American Dream, Anderson Robbins Research (2012) found that happiness was more highly valued than material gain, and Hanson and Zogby (2010) report that many Americans feel that the American Dream is more about spiritual happiness than material goods. However, this research explores how typical college students define the American Dream. College students at a small, public, liberal arts university in the Southeast were asked to describe, in their own words, the American Dream. The students were gathered together to watch a film presented by the university's American Democracy Project, and they were given approximately 15 minutes before the film to write down their thoughts on the topic. This paper is an analysis of their descriptions of the American Dream. The topic of material wealth was the overarching theme in a vast majority of the responses; it was mentioned in 32 of the 35 replies. These results are quite different than what Hanson and Zogby (2010) and Anderson Robbins Research (2012) found. This difference may be due to the age of the respondents, and it may also be due to the fact that the respondents in this study were asked to answer an open-ended question versus replying to a poll.

In addition to materialism, twelve other distinct themes emerged, including equality, happiness, and freedom. Interestingly, many of these themes can be traced back to Tocqueville's (1835Declaration of Independence/1969) work, Democracy in America, and even to the (1776), demonstrating the enduring values of American culture.

A PowerPoint presentation of the main findings of this article is available here.

Literature Review

    Alexis de Tocqueville came to the United States as a comparative sociologist, writing an exhaustive work about American culture titled Democracy in America in 1835. Nearly 200 years ago he observed many of the key components of the American Dream, which are still alive today. The idea that anyone can succeed is the foundation of the American Dream (Adams 1931; Huber and Form 1973; Kluegel and Smith 1986; Hochschild 1995) and this was evident to Tocqueville (1835/1969). He wrote, "in America most rich men began by being poor" (55). This is the very essence of the American Dream. Tocqueville (1835/1969) goes on to say that, "I know no other country where love of money has such a grip on men's hearts" (54) and that nothing can destroy their taste for well-being or that spirit of enterprise (411).

    A number of the elements of the American culture observed by Tocqueville were clearly spelled out over half a century earlier in the Declaration of Independence (1776). The Declaration of Independence (1776) states, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" (para.2). The ideas of equality and the pursuit of happiness come through very strongly in the descriptions of the American Dream. Notice that it is not just happiness, but the pursuit of happiness, that is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence (1776). The idea that one should seek out and strive for happiness, along with the idea that if you work hard enough you can achieve anything, have been at the heart of the American Dream and our national identity. The reward of material wealth is also apparent in the Horatio Alger Myth. Horatio Alger was a popular writer in the late 1800's who wrote fictional, rags to riches stories, about immigrants in the United States. The typical hero in his stories came to the United States with nothing, but with hard work the hero is able to succeed beyond his wildest dreams (Henslin 2011). Compounding these ideas is the fact that throughout our history Americans have enjoyed relative prosperity compared to a majority of people around the world. This was something that Tocqueville recognized as early as 1835.

    The manifestation of the American Dream has changed throughout the nation's history from moving westward to buying a home to raising a family to sending one's children to college to a comfortable retirement, yet the heart of the American Dream has always been closely connected to the idea of economic opportunity (Starks 2003:206). The American Dream incorporates values such as hard work, egalitarianism, freedom and independence, however, materialism is the most important value. In modern terms, gainful employment, prosperity, and homeownership in a desirable and safe neighborhood signifies the attainment of the American Dream (Clark 2003).

    Even President Barak Obama reflects on the American Dream in his book the Audacity of Hope (2006). Obama's dream is for everyone to achieve the American Dream, which for him includes good jobs, education, health care, safety, and affordable housing (Atwater 2007). Obama reiterates these themes in his 2012 Presidential Address in which he talks about equality and ensuring a fair shot for all Americans. An affordable college education, mortgage refinancing, and securing retirement were all worthy goals that he cited: he even declared that the American dream is "within our reach."

    The foundation of the American Dream is that through hard work, anyone, regardless of their background or origins, can access the opportunities necessary to succeed (Adams 1931; Clark 2003; Hochschild 1995). America is viewed as the land of limitless opportunity in which individuals can go as far as their own merit takes them (McNamee and Miller 2004). Clearly, the American Dream has deep roots in our nation going back hundreds of years. The ideology of the American Dream even has a history abroad, and it has been recognized as a reason that people decide to immigrate to the United States (Kolozsvari 2012). Polls ask people what is important in terms of the American Dream, but few studies actually ask people to define the American Dream as this study does.

Sample and Methods

    College students at a small, public, liberal arts university in the Southeast were asked to describe the American Dream. The students were gathered together to watch the film Working Girl, which was presented by the university's American Democracy Project in the Spring of 2007. They were given approximately 15 minutes before the film to respond to the question, "What is the American Dream?" Additionally, the students were asked to give their basic demographic information, including race, education level, sex, and age.

    Thirteen distinct themes emerged in the data analysis. Most of the respondents mentioned more than one theme in their reply. The quotes listed below are not always cited in their entirety, occasionally partial quotes are used to illustrate the point.

    A plurality of the respondents, 37%, were freshmen. Twenty-three percent were sophomores, 26% were juniors, 9% were seniors, and 5% were not students. Since the vast majority of the respondents were college students the terms sample and college students are used interchangeably throughout this research. The thirty-five respondents ranged in age from eighteen to forty-nine. Twenty eight of the respondents were between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two, and six of the respondents were between the ages of 24 and 29. The median age was 20. Thirty-four percent of the sample was male and sixty-six percent was female. Sixty-six percent of the respondents were white, 25% were African-American, 5% were Latino, 2% were Asian, and 2% marked "other" for race.

Table 1
Demographics

Freshman	37%
Sophomores	23%
Juniors	26%
Seniors	9%
Non-Students	5%
Median Age	20
White	66%
African American	25%
Latino	5%
Asian	2%
Other	2%

Findings

The vast majority, thirty-two of the thirty-five respondents directly mentioned wealth and or material goods when asked about the American Dream. Two of the three other respondents hinted at the idea of financial stability. One wrote about "equal opportunity" and the other respondent wrote, "The American Dream is to eat, drink, and be happy. To be able to live as you want, do as you want, love as you want and be who you want." Only one respondent did not allude to wealth or the idea of financial gain in any way. This respondent, a 19 year old female sophomore, who circled other for race, wrote that the American Dream is about unity.

Wealth or material gain is mentioned in nearly all of the responses. Two other strong themes are love and family as well as having a satisfying job. Other themes that were often mentioned, but with less frequency include: freedom, happiness, children, home ownership, success, an education, equal opportunity, having a dog, working less, and the ability to stay home and raise one's children.

Table 2
"What is the American Dream?"

	N=35
Material Wealth	91% (32)
Love and Family	60% (21)
Satisfying Job	43% (15)
Freedom	23% (15)
Happiness	20% (8)
Having 2 Children	20% (7)
Home Ownership	20% (7)
Success	17% (6)
An Education	11% (4)
Equal Opportunity	11% (4)
Having a Dog	11% (4)
Working Less	9% (3)
Stay at home with kids	9% (3)

Material Wealth

The overwhelming majority, 91% of the respondents, mentioned material wealth or money when asked "What is the American Dream?" These responses are consistent with classic definitions of the American Dream which focus on economic opportunity (Adams 1931; Clark 2003; Hochschild 1995). A 20 year old African American female junior wrote, "The American Dream is to be a millionaire." Or, simply, "To be rich" stated an 18 year old white male freshman. This was one of the few themes to repeatedly stand alone as the sole description of the American Dream. The quotes listed above consist of the respondents' entire reply.

Some respondents elaborated and included a list of items, but notice that making a lot of money is listed first. A 19 year old white female sophomore wrote. . .

"The typical American Dream has the following goals:

Make as much money as you can
Be independent
Have a family
Get a good education"

A 19 year old white female freshman wrote. . .

"Money
Family
A good job
happiness
love
(3p's) Power, Property, Prestige"

I had to wonder if this student took Introduction to Sociology, since she listed power, property and prestige.

A 20 year old white male junior wrote, "The American Dream, hmm. I think this could be a lot of things. I think it is to be able to live a long life of happiness, with a few bonuses. Bonuses, meaning having more than average income, less work, great family, etc… I believe this is what the average person wants in their American Dream. I believe that it is the same for all people to want more than they have no matter if they are the richest person in the nation." A higher than average income is listed as the first bonus that comes with the American Dream, and it seems to be very important in determining happiness; this quote is reminiscent of the Declaration of Independence's pursuit of happiness, which for these respondents seems to be equivalent to the pursuit of wealth, as it was for the founders of the United States. The reward of material wealth is also evident in the Horatio Alger Myth which encourages individuals to strive to be everything that they can be, because America is known as the land of limitless opportunities.

Love and Family

The second most common theme had to do with love and family, with 60% of the respondents mentioning this topic. This is consistent with Anderson Robbins Research (2012). In their research 83 percent of respondents felt that "a happy marriage" was very or extremely important when they ranked the significance of eight different aspects of the American Dream. A typical response, from a 24 year old white female junior, read as follows, ". . . it [the American Dream] would not be complete without the man or woman of your dreams to spend the rest of your life with and the pitter, patter of little feet when the time is right. Loving family and loyal friends."

A 22 year old African American female freshman wrote, "The American Dream is to be an independent person who takes care of their responsibilities of family and self. It also means that you get married and have children and later purchase your own home. The American Dream can also be to have a good career and live life with little to no worries. Not to live paycheck to paycheck and not knowing where your rent money will come from…" For this student being independent and secure is the most important aspect of the American dream because it allows you to take care of your family and yourself.

Satisfying Job

"The American Dream, I believe is to have a good job, a lot of money, a big TV, cable, to be popular in society, to have your kids go to college, and when you are retired to get a boat and go fishing" wrote a 24 year old Latino male junior. Forty-three percent of respondents talked about how having a satisfying job is an important part of the American Dream for them. While this was a common theme, it was never mentioned alone, it was always mentioned as part of the bigger picture. Thomas (2011) found that students in his study were motivated to go to college so that they could have a good career and live life with little to no worries.

Material wealth, love and family, and a satisfying job are by far the most common themes for the respondents queried in this study. Ninety-one percent of the respondents stated that material wealth was an important part of the American Dream, and for a number of respondents, this was the only component of the American Dream. Sixty percent of the respondents mentioned love and family and 43% listed a satisfying job as important parts of the American Dream. The remaining themes were mentioned with less frequency, between 23% and 9%, however, they also provide interesting insight into the American Dream. These themes include: freedom, happiness, children, home ownership, success, a college education, equal opportunity, having a dog, working less, and the ability to stay home and raise one's children.

Freedom

It is no surprise that freedom was mentioned in the responses. Tocqueville (1835/1969:413) believed that freedom is "the principal means of action" in the United States, and according to Kolozsvari (2012) values such as freedom and independence are an important part of the American Dream. Twenty-three percent of the respondents mentioned freedom in their descriptions of the American dream. An 18 year old white male freshman wrote, "The American Dream is to have a life of freedom and happiness. Americans wish to obtain a life full of wealth and strength in whatever they are trying to achieve."

Happiness

     An 18 year old white female freshman wrote, "In my opinion, the American Dream is to be happy. Whether it is being happy with your career, family, wealth, or just who you are in life. The dream of being happy is something that all Americans should want and strive for." A 27 year old white female junior wrote, "The American Dream is to eat, drink, and be happy." Happiness or the ability to strive for happiness is seen as a birth right for Americans, at least for these respondents.

     Happiness is also mentioned alongside material wealth in two of the quotes listed above. It is quite possible that the respondents see the concepts of material wealth and happiness as interrelated. A 19 year old white male sophomore wrote, "Happiness through worldly desires can be obtained."

    Hanson and Zogby (2010) report that many Americans feel that the American Dream is more about spiritual happiness than material goods and similarly, Anderson Robbins Research (2012) found that happiness was more important than materialism in achieving the American Dream.

Having Two Children

It was quite interesting that not only did respondents mentioned children, but they were very specific about how many children were ideal. They did not want 1 child or 3 or even 4 children, but 20% wanted two children, and typically they wanted one boy and one girl. Perhaps this is because the average woman in the United States has two children. An 18 year old white female freshman wrote, "The American Dream to me is getting married, having 2 children, a boy and a girl, having 2 dogs and living in a nice neighborhood."

Home Ownership

For twenty percent of the respondents part of the American Dream is owning a home. A 19 year old white female freshman wrote that her American Dream includes, "A house with a picket fence, a dog, and 2.5 kids." Anderson Robbins Research (2012) found that two-thirds of respondents said "owning a home" is either very or extremely important to achieving the American Dream. Home ownership is part of the American Dream (Kolozsvari 2012; Starks 2003).
Several students also mentioned that the home they envisioned as part of their American Dream had a picket fence. This may reflect the desire for not only owning a home, but owning an idyllic home in a safe neighborhood. Picket fences represent safety, security, and a middle class lifestyle.

Success

While the idea of success is closely linked to material wealth in the responses, since 17% of the sample mentioned the concept, it was counted as a separate theme. A 28 year old white female who is not a student wrote, the American Dream is, "To be at the top, be president of the US if one can or CEO of a company." Another respondent, a 21 year old white female junior wrote, "I believe the American Dream is success. To be successful in many areas of your life, examples are: financial stability, to have love in your life, to have a job that you enjoy going to (or not having a job J). Generally, just be happy, fulfilled, and satisfied. That is what the American Dream means to me."

An Education

"The American Dream to me is getting an education. I feel very privileged to be here [in college] right now at this point in my life" wrote an 18 year old white female, college freshman. To a 21 year old African American male junior the American Dream means, ". . .you're a college grad, with a nice job, husband/wife, kids, pets, and the whole nine [yards]." A 24 year old white female, college junior said the American Dream is, "to finish college with good grades and to love your job, hopefully making a lot of money." Eleven percent of respondents stated that getting a college education was part of their American Dream. Most college students and their parents tend to value a college education, not only because it is associated with more occupational prospects, but also because it offers an opportunity for personal growth (Thomas 2011). Access to education (at least a primary education in the early history of the United States) is also part of our history as a nation (Tocqueville 1835/1969).

An Equal Opportunity

According to Tocqueville (1835/1969:57) for Americans, "freedom is not the chief and continual object of their desires; it is equality for which they feel an eternal love." An 18 year old Latino female freshman, wrote that the American Dream is, "for all to live freely and all have equal opportunity." A 19 year old white female freshman wrote, "The American Dream is a world with no racism, hate, or discrimination towards anyone. The American Dream is to have everyone treated the same regardless of color, race, or income." Eleven percent of respondents mentioned equal opportunities as part of the American Dream. Similarly, Kolozsvari (2012) found that female immigrants from Hungary believed that they had more equal opportunities and more gender equality in the United States than in their country of origin. The notion of equal opportunities is rooted in The Horatio Alger Myth of a poor immigrant succeeding in the United States, and this is the embodiment of the American Dream.

Having a Dog

Fido seems to be part of the American Dream. Eleven percent of respondents mentioned having a dog as part of their American Dream. Of course, Fido was just part of the overall picture, but he is defiantly part of the picture. One respondent who was a 49 year old white female, who was not a student, wrote that the American Dream is, "to have a satisfying job that pays well enough to own your own home, car, etc. . . to find your perfect mate and have a boy and a girl and a cocker spaniel!"

What was so interesting is that no other animal was mentioned, there were no cats, gerbils, guinea pigs, or horses, just dogs. Perhaps this is because of how presidential pets are treated by the media. Many presidential dogs are well known: Bo Obama, Barney Bush, Buddy Clinton are just a few of the recent dogs to occupy the White House. Other presidential pets are much less likely to receive national press coverage. Dogs seem to have a special place in the hearts of Americans and in the American Dream.

To Work Less

Two partial quotes that are cited above in their entirety show a link between the American Dream and working less. A 20 year old white male, college junior wrote the American Dream means, "having more than average income, less work, [a] great family, etc…" A 28 year old white female who is not a student wrote, the American Dream is, "to have a job that you enjoy going to (or not having a job)." Nine percent of respondents mentioned working less or not working at all. As is indicated in the first quote listed here, the respondents believe that the American Dream includes financial stability while working less or not working at all.

Stay Home with the Children

Nine percent of the respondents, all women, talked about the ability to work part-time and stay home with their children. An 18 year old white female freshman wrote, "I would love to become a lawyer and set my appointments up where I could be home with my children." A 19 year old white female freshman wrote, "The American Dream is a family and wonderful job where I only have to work part-time and I get to be home with my children." Kolozsvari (2012) also found this same desire linked to the American Dream for immigrant women.

Discussion

     A note of caution: while the American Dream is incredibly positive and it pushes the individual to strive for more, it can lead to blaming the poor. The American Dream can blind one from seeing the structural barriers, such as discrimination, an inadequate education, and a lack of good jobs, which make it difficult for some, especially minorities, to succeed. Many Americans, in large part because of the American Dream, tend to believe that the United States is a meritocracy, a society where people are directly rewarded for their efforts and talents. McNamee and Miller (2004) refer to this as the meritocracy myth, and they report that "the impact of merit on economic outcomes is vastly overestimated by the ideology of the American Dream" (McNamee and Miller 2004: para. 2).

     Discrimination over generations, based on race, class, and gender, tends to be overlooked by many in the United States because of the American Dream. It is important to remember that discrimination by race, class, and gender has a negative impact on many aspects of the American Dream. Discrimination negatively impacts ten of the thirteen themes that were identified by this research, including: wealth or material gain, a satisfying job, freedom, happiness, home ownership, success, a college education, equal opportunity, working less, and the ability to stay home and raise one's children.

     The American Dream is a multidimensional construct that idealizes the opportunities that are available in the United States. Ideas about freedom and equal opportunity set the stage and create an environment in which individuals believe that their dreams of happiness can be pursued. This study provides evidence that the pursuit of wealth is deeply ingrained in the American psyche as the legitimate end/goal for individuals. When young Americans are asked to define the American Dream, and to fill in the blanks for themselves, instead of being prompted by pollsters' prearranged criteria, wealth overrides spiritual happiness and non-material values. The primary finding of this research is that an overwhelming 91% of respondents mentioned material wealth as a central component of the American Dream.

Conclusion

     Hanson and Zogby (2010) asked if individuals considered their American Dream to be mainly about achieving material goods or if it is more about finding spiritual happiness. When given this choice more respondents (51%) choose spiritual happiness over material goods (32%). Anderson Robbins Research (2012) asked individuals to rate eight different aspects of the American Dream. Eighty-three percent said that a happy marriage was very or extremely important. A long and healthy retirement ranked second and living in an environmentally responsible way ranked third, while being successful in a high-paying career ranked last. Only 46% of those polled considered this to be very or extremely important. Anderson Robbins Research (2012) does not recognize that a substantial amount of material wealth is necessary in order to have a long and healthy retirement and to own a home, both of which were ranked highly in their study. Hanson and Zogby (2010) and Anderson Robbins Research (2012) make the argument that the American Dream today is less about achieving material goods. The wording of the questions in these polls may have influenced the responses and social desirability may have come into play as well.

     The studies mentioned above may be tapping into changing values. Wernet et al. (2005) show that values, especially those in economically advanced societies, are changing, and it is expected that values in countries like the United States will continue transition away from materialism and toward non-material values which emphasize a higher quality of life. However, the focus of this study is not specifically people's values, but how college students define the American Dream, an important part of the American psyche, that influence how individuals view inequality and poverty.

     In response to an open ended question about what is the American Dream, a vast majority 91% (32 out of 35) of respondents cited material wealth as part of their American Dream. This preoccupation with economic opportunity, success, and material wealth is quite evident in how college students in this study describe the American Dream. Only 20% of the respondents mentioned happiness, and none of the respondents talked about spiritual happiness. These results may be due in large part to the age of the respondents, and future research with older generations is necessary. However, it seems that college students, at least the ones surveyed in this study, equate material wealth with the American Dream: as Jerry Maguire said in the 1996 movie, "Show me the money!" An 18 year old white female freshman, wrote, "The American Dream is to be able to dream; and to dream BIG; and to act on those dreams; and to make these dreams reality. The American Dream is to be and do anything and everything your heart desires" and all too often, those dreams seem to be about having more and more material possessions. In other words, as an 18 year old white male freshman stated, the American Dream is "to be rich."

References

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United States Declaration of Independence 1776.

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