Her Dreamz vs. His Dreamz
The American Dream varies from person to person, especially in gender. In the chapter entitled “Whose Dream? Gender and the American Dream” from The American Dream in the 21st Century by Sandra L. Hanson and John Kenneth White, Hanson identifies key social separations between genders that provides insight into the differences between the ideal dreams of the average male and female. Specifically, Hanson analyzes how there is a notable difference in education between men and women, along with variations in the American Dream in general.
Hanson mentions how different the educational sphere is for men and women when regarding standardized test scores and the overwhelming absence of women in the scientific field. For instance, Hanson states: “Although young girls do not start out low with achievement in science, early in the high school years, many girls experience the beginning of a departure from science areas typified by enrollment in fewer science courses, lowered achievement, and increasingly negative attitudes” (78). Hanson identifies how the environment and attitude have largely affected the presence of women and science and can account for a young girl's hesitation to join the science field.
Personally, when I was in high school I was enrolled in several science courses all throughout and although I thoroughly enjoyed the material, I felt certainly less apt in the subject over my male classmates as the number of females in my science classrooms was always markedly less than that of males, and males tended to do better. Thus, a female’s entrance into the scientific field is hindered by the attitudes and excessive amount of success from males that causes females to feel as though they are less skilled to handle a career in science, which is unfortunate when considering that a young girl’s dream may be to be doctor or biologist, but that dream may be hindered by the preconceived notion that men own the scientific field.
Personally, when I was in high school I was enrolled in several science courses all throughout and although I thoroughly enjoyed the material, I felt certainly less apt in the subject over my male classmates as the number of females in my science classrooms was always markedly less than that of males, and males tended to do better. Thus, a female’s entrance into the scientific field is hindered by the attitudes and excessive amount of success from males that causes females to feel as though they are less skilled to handle a career in science, which is unfortunate when considering that a young girl’s dream may be to be doctor or biologist, but that dream may be hindered by the preconceived notion that men own the scientific field.
In terms of defining the American Dream itself, surveys taken in 2001 by Zogby indicate that men are more likely to say the dream is about material goods (34% vs. 30%), while women are more likely to say that the dream is about attaining spiritual happiness( 54% vs. 48%).
Why would there be a difference in the definition of the American Dream? Well, for one Hanson makes note of the fact that men have more opportunity and success when it comes to jobs and make more than the average women, so that can account for the difference in material goods as one is more likely to splurge on materialistic items when they have the wealth to do so. However, women may be more likely to state that spiritual happiness is more in line with what the American Dream is as Hanson points out that socially speaking, women are more able to recognize that equal opportunity is not available to all, including factors such as racism or sexism. Thus, when examining why women may lean towards spiritual happiness when defining what the American Dream is, it is possible that an acknowledgement of the inequality in the country may account for a want of personal freedom and happiness that can largely be achieved through spiritual happiness, which will have one at peace with any notable inequalities present within society.
Why would there be a difference in the definition of the American Dream? Well, for one Hanson makes note of the fact that men have more opportunity and success when it comes to jobs and make more than the average women, so that can account for the difference in material goods as one is more likely to splurge on materialistic items when they have the wealth to do so. However, women may be more likely to state that spiritual happiness is more in line with what the American Dream is as Hanson points out that socially speaking, women are more able to recognize that equal opportunity is not available to all, including factors such as racism or sexism. Thus, when examining why women may lean towards spiritual happiness when defining what the American Dream is, it is possible that an acknowledgement of the inequality in the country may account for a want of personal freedom and happiness that can largely be achieved through spiritual happiness, which will have one at peace with any notable inequalities present within society.
Overall, men and women differ in their approach to the American Dream and this difference may be due to the varying degrees of opportunity and equality for the genders in different areas of society, whether it be education, careers, earnings, or other various factors. Nonetheless, the American Dream is still attainable for both genders, but the interpretation of how to achieve that dream may continue to differ into the future.
I totally applaud you for sticking with your science courses. Not all males are good at science; I, for example, am SO bad at science. Every single human being is different, and what job one pursues shouldn't be determined by gender. So many great ideas are going to be, and have been, lost because people have been told not to study something, especially because of gender. All fields should be equally accessible, regardless of gender. That 2001 survey, and the analysis along with it, is extremely telling of why men and women view the American Dream in such different ways.
ReplyDeleteAlexa, I enjoyed reading your commentary on the differences between men and women's definitions of the American Dream. I believe that the ability for men and women to develop such different definitions is due to the fact that the American Dream is extremely versatile. The overall concept of the American Dream continues to shift not only specifically for men and women but for all followers of the Dream. The Dream grows just as the nation does, with new definitions developing following historical events and even personal life events. I liked how you were able to make your post more personal by adding your experience in your science class. I was able to connect your story to my own experience in middle/high school science as well. I often found myself going to the boys in my sophomore-year chemistry class for help, as they always succeeded on tests and seemed to grasp the material well.
ReplyDeleteSince i did not choose this chapter as my own. I really liked your blog since it is a simple and good overview of the chapter. Additionally, your relevance by making the connection with your science class is interesting.It is interesting and true that men have a materialistic myth and women adapt a more spiritual myth.Even more interesting when You state the reason for that difference, which is that women have first hand experience with inequality and therefore aspire equality. After all it is sad that some Dreams are limited by the different level of education. Every individual has something interesting to share and it would be great to see the full potential on both material and moral dreams of both genders.
ReplyDeleteI thought this section was extremely interesting and I think you summarized it perfectly. Math and science have never been my strong suit, but I remember thinking that it was weird when girls were so celebrated for being good at it and wondering why it was a bigger deal for girls to like math. I met a sorority girl here on campus who told me that her dream is to become a marine-engineer where she would build and operate submarine drones to make discoveries in the ocean. She explained how difficult it was to be a girl with that kind of focus because of both the intimidation from her male peers, but also the pressure to succeed to prove that women belong in these fields just as much as men. I think this is a very interesting and very relevant topic to research further.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this chapter, and this post is a great summary of it. In addition, I thought your connection to the science class you were in proved how relevant Hanson's statements are even today. I remembered that senior year of high school, my schedule only allowed me to take either a history class or a science class. I chose history because thats what all of my best friends were doing. Since a science class was optional, most of the girls chose to take government classes instead. This was the same with Econ classes. Basically, I realized that most of the girls chose government while the boys chose either Econ or a science class. Even now, many seemed to go on to focus on English or history based classes, not STEM. I never put that together before reading this chapter!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your entire blog post. I especially found the second main idea fascinating -- how women and men define the American Dream differently. It's crazy to think about how much of a role gender plays into people's ambitions and how they perceive the world. When it comes down to it, a person's personal experiences and exposure to oppression is what shapes their dreams and outlook on the world. I think that this topic is often overlooked, and it's important to bring awareness to it.
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