Full Description
This book challenges the widely held American belief in meritocracy-that people get out of the system what they put into it based on individual merit. Examining talent, attitude, work ethic, and character as elements of merit, the book also evaluates the effect of non-merit factors such as social status, race, heritage, and wealth on meritocracy. The third edition features a new section on "The Great Recession."
Contents
Acknowledgments1 The American Dream: Origins and Prospects2 On Being Made of the Right Stuff: The Case for Merit3 The Silver Spoon: Inheritance and the Staggered Start4 It's Not What You Know but . . . : Social and Cultural Capital5 Making the Grade: Education and Mobility6 Being in the Right Place at the Right Time: The Luck Factor7 I Did It My Way: The Decline of Self-employment and the Ascent of Corporations8 An Unlevel Playing Field: Racism, Sexism, and other Isms9 Growing Inequality in the Twenty-first CenturyIndexAbout the Authors
