Web Exercises
Watch and learn! Carefully selected videos will help bring key concepts and theories to life, preparing you for your studies and exams.
Click on the following links which will open in a new window.
1. The Myth of Horatio Alger, Jr.
Horatio Alger, Jr. was a 19th century American author whose characters have been described as rags-to-riches stories. If you are not familiar with Alger's stories, do a search on the Internet and read some articles about the author and his books. These books are thought to reflect the American Dream. What is the popular conception of Horatio Alger and the American Dream? Then go to this website to read about how people's knowledge of Horatio Alger has evolved: http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/cinder/bio.htm. What factors have influenced what people know about Alger and how they think about the American Dream?
2. The American Dream
Think about what the American Dream means to you. What makes it “American”? How do you think social mobility in the U.S. compares with social mobility in other developed countries? To explore this comparison, visit these websites: http://www.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=35&articleid=85§ionid=515&submit
Based on your readings from the textbook and from these websites, do you think the American Dream is alive and well? Does the American Dream mean the same thing that it used to mean? How does the American Dream compare to opportunities available in other countries?
3. The American Dream and Immigration
Another area where social mobility and the attainment of the American Dream should be considered relates to immigration. Visit this website to read about this issue:
Do immigrant children face any additional hurdles? Does it depend from where a person immigrates?