The American Myth of Success

Download or read book The American Myth of Success written by Richard Weiss and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 1969 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the introduction: "Tradition has it that every American child receives, as part of his birthright, the freedom to mold his own life. . . . However inaccurate as a description of American society, the success myth reflects what millions believe that society is or ought to be. The degree to which opportunity has or has not been available in our society is a subject for empirical investigation. It rests within the realm of verifiable fact. The belief that opportunity exists for all is a subject for intellectual analysis and rests within the realm of ideology. This latter dimension of the success myth is the primary focus of this book."