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2008-10-30  BUSINESS POST | Survey- Tough Economy Has Not Killed 'the American Dream'
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October 30, 2008
§ New survey of over 2,000 Americans yields interesting and surprising findings
§ Money is at core of achieving the dream, but is far more complex than money alone
§ Emphasis has shifted to "consumption" and "fame"
§ The U.S. is still seen as the land of opportunity
§ Most Americans feel the American Dream was easier to achieve in the past
A new survey from advertising giant JWT (J. Walter Thompson) shows most Americans still believe in the American Dream although for many it has been debased by politicians, corporations and the media.
While there is no single version of what the American Dream means today, there are several common threads that appeared in the results of the new survey about the American Dream including: freedom, democracy, self-determination, self-reliance, education, talent, hard work, enterprise, escape from the past, belief in the future, family values, meritocracy, second chances and, above all, possibility.
Ann Mack, Director of Trendspotting at JWT says, "People question the American Dream when things are going wrong and life seems more nightmare than dream for many; there are predictable pronouncements that the American Dream is over, a thing of the past. This is a complex time for the American Dream, and it is being both affirmed and challenged. At the same time that the nation is guaranteed to make history with either the first African-American president or the first female vice president, the crisis in the financial system is threatening many millions with hardship."
Opinions like these from two survey respondents reflects the pulse of how many Americans are feeling – "The distribution of wealth in this country has destroyed the "dream" for most people. Too few control too much of the wealth and everyone else is just trying to survive". –Caucasian female (b. 1947)
"Back in the day the American Dream was as simple as coming to America to find a home, get a job and live out your life. Now that is not good enough. Now you want to be famous, rich, glorious and renowned all over the world. Achieving such is not so simple. In the past, "dead end job" was a term that didn't exist. Any job meant money to feed your family and pay your taxes. As long as you could do that, most were happy to be alive. Now working at any old job is pretty much the same as being dead. The world does not know who you are, nor does it care who you are; you are nothing and no one. You may as well be dead." –Hispanic male (b. 1988)
"This tumultuous period—with the headlines dominated by a presidential election season, turmoil on Wall Street and an impending global recession—is an ideal time to explore the many components of the American Dream and the myriad ways in which different groups understand and live it" says Mack
The study, "American Dream in the Balance" was conducted online between September 11-19 by JWT one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. JWT surveyed 2,112 adults to explore what the American Dream means today and how the concept has changed or remained constant over the decades. The sample is primarily segmented by generation, household income and political affiliation, with occasional references to race and ethnicity.
Twelve sample findings from the survey:
1) Money may not buy happiness, but these two elements are core to Americans' definition of the American Dream.
This is especially true for the younger generations (Gen X and Millennials), who grew up in relatively comfortable circumstances—only learning about struggles for freedom of speech and freedom from oppression in history books. This is less the case with Matures, however, who equate the Dream more with basic freedoms—likely because they remember a time when these could not be taken for granted. The Boomers act as a bridge between the past and the future: They think of freedom of speech only slightly less than financial security when asked what the American Dream means to them.
2) Financial security is the new freedom.
For younger Americans, financial security allows for a number of freedoms that go well beyond the definitions of previous generations—freedom of movement (the ability to travel far and wide; to work wherever and whenever they want), freedom of speech (to Twitter, YouTube, blog from a WiFi connection or mobile device to whomever, wherever and whenever they want), freedom from oppression (to be entrepreneurial; to avoid being a drudge for "the man"). Having the means to do what they want, when and how they want, is equated with freedom.
3) Americans believe their country is more concerned with helping immigrants and other countries achieve their version of the American Dream than with helping its own citizens.
There is a clear vein of feeling that immigrants—especially illegal immigrants—are making it difficult for long-established citizens to achieve the American Dream. Yet Americans still understand the lure of the U.S. for immigrants, although that understanding declines with age.
4) The American Dream is seen as harder to achieve today.
A net plurality of Americans feel the American Dream is harder to achieve today than it was during every decade from the 1950s onward. That tendency is reflected in our finding that Americans see the '50s and '60s as the American Dream's halcyon days, although not surprisingly, black Americans—who lived in a largely segregated, discriminatory society at the time—diverge from this view.
5) The U.S. is still the land of opportunity.
Every age cohort rates the U.S. as a land of opportunity—by a large margin relative to other countries—with only developed nations coming remotely close and developing ones well behind.
6) Financial status and belief in the American Dream go together
While fewer than two-thirds (65 percent) of Americans with household income below $40,000 believe in the American Dream, three-quarters of those in the $40,000-70,000 bracket believe in it and 82 percent of those above $70,000.
7) More than 6 in 10 see health care costs as a barrier to the American Dream
Health care costs land at No. 6 out of 28 possible factors that most get in the way of people achieving the American Dream; 63 percent of Americans cite this factor, the same percentage that cited insufficient education as a factor.
8) Determination, perseverance, hope and optimism remain intrinsic to the American Dream. For large pluralities of Americans, the most enduring elements of the American Dream both past and present revolve around a gritty, keep-on-keeping-on spirit and an outlook that expects the best. However, substantial minorities of Americans see these elements as being more of the past than the present.
9) The American Dream is different than it used to be
For most age groups of the respondents, the emphasis of the American Dream in the 21st century has shifted to consumption and fame or recognition.
10) Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe in the American Dream
There's a 13-point gap between the percentage of Republicans and Democrats who say they personally believe in the American Dream (84 percent vs. 71 percent); Americans who identify with neither major party are the least likely to profess belief in the Dream (66 percent).
11) The media, corporations and politicians have bastardized the American Dream
A clear majority of Americans believe the American Dream is misused by politicians, large corporations and the media—entities that have a lot of power in public life.
12) Gender and race are not seen as major barriers to the American Dream
Fewer than a quarter of Americans believe gender gets in the way of achieving the American Dream (19 percent overall, and 21 percent of women), or race (23 percent). However, more than twice as many black Americans (56 percent) feel that race gets in the way.
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