The Is The Meritocracy Myth - 1866 Words

Meritocracy is the â€Å"idea that positions are earned through hard work and personal achievement and through no resources other than one’s own† (Shapiro 78). This is both an unproved and a false collective belief which leads to the creation of the term the meritocracy myth. Many Americans have fallen short of furthering themselves economically because of this ideology and were raised to believe in a stringent model of meritocracy even though life has proven how false and misleading this ideal truly is. It has been proven through examples such as the top 1%’s existence and the fact that â€Å"95% of children born to parents in the bottom 6% of wealth holders will end up poor as adults† (McNamee and Miller 96). On the other hand of the spectrum, many Americans use the term economic inequality quite frequently when talking about politics in social affairs. However not many grasp either of these terms correctly when using them with this context. Economic ine quality is displayed by individuals’ contrasting situational positions within the economic distribution of income and wealth. Examples of this inequality fall into categories of either income, pay, or wealth. There are many scholarly papers that demonstrate the social issues created by these two terms and their relation to our society. The meritocracy myth is the main underlying cause to the social issue of economic inequality. Robert Reich has made it clear that America’s scales of income distribution and wealth are unevenlyShow MoreRelatedWomen in Technology and the Meritocracy Myth1982 Words   |  8 PagesWomen in Technology and the Meritocracy Myth Although many women make a career in the technology industry, it is shown that there is a low percentage of women in the technology industry due to the meritocracy myth.The meaning of the word meritocracy [mer-i-tok-ruh-see] is government or the holding of power by people selected according to merit (Oxford Dictionaries). The technology industry can be considered as a virtual world with many different career areas one can pursue with the right set ofRead MoreMeritocracy Essay1000 Words   |  4 PagesMeritocracy in American’s lives Do Americans believe meritocracy exists in America? Do talented people who work hard earning the reward that they deserve? Do talented people have enough challenges for their promotion that they merit? Living in the United States, many people think meritocracy exists because people expect about the opportunities to learn, to work, to earn, and to deserve. People also think they may have chances to earn what they deserve because the trusting of meritocracy. HoweverRead MoreWhite Privilege : Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack967 Words   |  4 Pagesapplicants with black-sounding names, even when all relevant qualifications and experience are indistinguishable†? (Wise 40) When study after study consistently reveals an unwarranted trend of disproportionate opportunity, the exalted system of meritocracy, a belief central to the American creed, begins to crumble. As McIntosh perceptively states in White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, â€Å"If these things are true, t his is not such a free country; one s life is not what one makes it; manyRead MoreAssess the Contribution of Marxism to Our Understanding of the Role of Education1676 Words   |  7 Pagessuch ideologies. They describe the education system as a giant ‘myth making machine’ and focus on how education promotes the ‘myth of meritocracy’. Meritocracy refers to a system where everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve, where rewards are based on ability and effort. This means that those who gain the highest rewards and status deserve it because they are the most able and hardworking. Bowles and Gintis argue that meritocracy does not actually exist. Evidence showed that the main factor determiningRead More White Privilege in America Essay710 Words   |  3 Pagesobliviousness about male advantage, is kept strongly inculturated in the United States so as to maintain the myth of meritocracy, the myth that democratic choice is equally available to all†¦props up those in power and serves to keep power in the hands of the same groups that have most of it already† (105). Both points serve McIntosh’s objective of making clear that the notion of white privilege is not a myth. Due to the socially constructed and arbitrary nature of ideologies concerning race (a biologicalRead MoreCanada Is Not The Post Racist Utopia1618 Words   |  7 Pagestruths and how they are masked. First, I will describe how Multiculturalism is merely a system that manages different ethnicities in a way that allows white privilege to prevail. Second, I will debunk the myth of Canada’s near-non-existent colonial legacy. Last, I will explain the myth of meritocracy and how it is reflected in a vertical mosaic. Only through a series of polite fictions that mask inconvenient truths, can the domain of race, ethnic, and Aboriginal relations in Canada be properly interpretedRead MoreUsing material from item A and elsewhere, asses the view that the education system exists mainly to select and prepare young people for their future work roles972 Words   |  4 Pagesit†™s run. This is one way that Marxists argue that young pupils get allocated roles for their future work roles, and education is there for them to accept their role and not argue against it. Another Marxist view on education is the myth of meritocracy which is the legitimation of class inequality, which is what a capitalist society is based on so there is always a risk that those at the bottom will feel their inequality is undeserved and unfair and therefore will rebel against it. BowlesRead MoreThe View that Schools and What Happens Within Them are the Main Causes of Social Class Difference in Educational Achievement1038 Words   |  5 Pagesclass is due to schools and what goes on in them. The first piece of evidence we can use to support the above statement is a Marxist point of view about education. Bowles and Gintis (71) argue that meritocracy (your social position is based on your effort and ability) is a myth. He believes that the educational system works against the interests of the working class. Their correspondence theory they argued that there were a correspondence between the social relationshipsRead MoreReflection Of Jose Antonio Vargas989 Words   |  4 Pagesfewer social services than low-skill immigrants.†(Borjas 3) George Borjas discusses that meritocracy is a valid way to adjust immigration policies. Many Americans also believe that the United States is based off of meritocracy. They believe that if you are an immigrant and you have skills valuable to the United States, then you have a place here. However, this is completely false. Vargas took this myth of meritocracy and completely disproved it. He showed that many of the undocumented or illegal immigrantsRead MoreDoes Education Enable Western Democracies?2947 Words   |  12 Pagesand amongst all students? Many people in today’s society believe that we live in a world of meritocracy, that the brightest students will ultimately gain the highest earning jobs when they are thrust into the world of the working. On the other hand, those who do not engage in their learning, will simply not ga in an as sought after career. We must take into consideration this idealistic view of meritocracy within the education system and assess whether it can be accepted specifically from a sociological