Preview

The American Dream In The 1970's

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
682 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The American Dream In The 1970's
The 1970’s is most memorable for the media that broke new barriers and allowed the public a form to escape reality of the political scandals and constant change of powers also formed the 70’s. The culture during this decade revolved around individualism as it directed focus bettering and healing ourselves. Topics such as movies that are still seen today, feminism, and headline makers allowed non conformities acceptance. Film, television, radio, and media were a success in the 1970’s as they budget were broken, television controlled, and a new radio was introduced. The American Dream still existed through the depression of the decade, except that it changed to a more individualistic focus. The American dream for families was to sustain a 4 member …show more content…
The term “The Me Decade”,first labeled by Tom Wolfe in an article written for the New York Magazine described how self aware the public had become and the retreat from politics, history, and human reciprocity that no one dare address before (The Me Decade para 7). A spiritual dilemma that had taken place in the late 60s decade and early 70s was solve through the adoption of Eastern religions and the “embarrassment of old fashioned resurgent American Evangelism” (The Me Decade para 9). The young refused to accept the older generation conservative religious beliefs that they pushed for. They turned to religion that were about peace and happiness with oneself. Radical activist Rennie Davis was popular for forming riots at the Democratic National Convention in 68’. He promised that by the end of the decade through the steps of guru Maharaj Ji the country would be ‘perfect’. Zen Buddhism was another major religion that was prominent in books, lectures, and radio with a main focus on happiness. Industries encourages this by supporting non-conformism and recreational activities practices such as tennis, kungfu, massages among more. In high schools a study said that SAT scores dropped to 477 in math and 453 in

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    As I have shown, the 1960s is a distinguished decade that transformed America, and overall society in an immense amount of ways. Firstly, the sixties consisted of fashion that was bi-polar in just about every way and innovatively expressed the emotions of individuals. Secondly, the memorable sports events and renowned players established a great foundation for the decade. Thirdly, the unforgettable fight for civil rights with the esteemed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and the assassination of John F. Kennedy were ground-breaking, distressed events. Fourthly, the effect on family values and culture was preeminent during the decade. Fifthly, music was transformed and sculptured during the decade. The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix revolutionized the way…

    • 139 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Each day that goes by holds something different than what yesterday or tomorrow olds. Therefore each year always contains something different than what last year or next year contains. Some things are repeated but not all. That is why this paper will be different than if I was writing about the 1960’s or the 1980’s. The political climate of the 1970’s actually turns out to be quiet interesting. It is interesting to hear about the Vietnam War and about the Watergate scandal that went on. It is also interesting to see just how the public was changing at this time. These are the things that make studying the 1970’s so fascinating.…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A life of personal happiness and material comfort as traditionally sought by individuals in the…

    • 646 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The paradoxical nature of the 1950s and early 60’s was evident to all individuals, and it soon dominated the United States as a whole. With the emergence of such large cultural awakenings, the doors that opened to…

    • 563 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ensuing America’s rapid emergence into a new time period, society’s original perception of the American Dream would begin to falter. Considering this change, the initial American Dream…

    • 1224 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    New Election 1960

    • 1318 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The 1960’s was a new decade of a new generation. The second world war had ended over a decade before and America was ready for new beginnings. America was gaining new inventions- like the television- and dealing with new international problems- like the Cold War. The country was also dealing with issues within itself- like the Civil Rights Movement and an influx of a…

    • 1318 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    America experienced a great sense of growth and change during the 1970s. Conflicts that the country had were dealt with poorly. Traditional morals and practices were washed down the drain and the country became more freethinking and individualized. It was the first period of time where nothing truly significant took place in America, so the nation took that spare decade to figure itself out and…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Music During The 1960's

    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages

    America during the 1960’s was a time a change, it was a time of new ideals in an ever growing country, in an attempt to leave behind the remnants of a republican's dream society of 9 to 5’s, in a suburban wonderland with the wife and kids. to be replaced with a society that emphasis…

    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The american dream

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages

    To this day whenever someone new comes to the United States they come along with a famous ethos “The American Dream”. Many people immigrate to America each year to receive their rightful freedoms, equality, and opportunities to achieve their goals. In recent discussion about the American Dream, a controversial fight has been over whether this dream still prospers and is achievable or if it is even a realistic idea to have anymore. On one hand, some people like Anne Jolis an editorial page writer for the Wall Street Journal Europe look at America today and say the “The dream today is in doubt”. From this perspective, MONEY is the power that runs basically everything in America and rules upon if you will achieve your dream. On the other hand however, people like Chris Demello argue that the dream is still alive and always will be. To me the American Dream is no longer obtainable. There is a horrible amount confusing and fighting that is happening in the States, the economy and government is more debt than ever before, and education is becoming worse preventing people to strive and their best to help the country run.…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The American Dream

    • 3111 Words
    • 13 Pages

    To achieve higher expectations of success than the previous generations, and accomplishing what hasn't already been accomplished, can be considered the overall American Dream. Generally, every child wants to surpass the achievements of their parents as a natural act of competition and personal satisfaction. Throughout The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, and Death of a Salesman, there is a constant yearning desire to achieve the “American Dream;” whether it be reality or illusion. Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and Miller, all portray the ideas of the American Dream relating to the time period that they are referring to. The strive to achieve a goal whether it be to be the wealthiest or achieve a great life by hard work seems to be the template for the original American dream in the books. To be able to support one’s family, have a decent job, a car, and a home, is the stereotypical, “American dream.” Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, and Miller incorporate their ideas of the American dream symbolically throughout their stories.…

    • 3111 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The American Dream

    • 2100 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Generally considered that the American Dream consists of a healthy family, a well-paying job and a sturdy home. A lot of people dream about it and use all their opportunities to achieve it. However, the socioeconomic situation of the United States is an obstacle to this ideal. The characters who inhabit Raymond Carver’s Cathedral are blue-collar Americans confused and illusioned by the hollow image of an American dream they see on the TV screen every night. Denis Johnson’s protagonists, however, have never heard of an American dream, and are certainly not devoted to achieving it; their lives slip by a state of alcoholism and drug use and futures become brutally shapeless. Their despairs and disappointments are displaced instead through drug addiction, alcoholism, infidelity and unemployment. Nonetheless, there are rare but genuine pulses of hope in both authors’ stories. (Carvarian people find their own ways to communicate and affect each other in order to survive in this brutal world. Johnson’s character is influenced by his own experience and surroundings; his sparks of hope occur while he is on his journey to recovery.) Despite the fallacy of the American Dream, the characters of Denis Johnson and Raymond Carver have occasional moments of hope, either in the struggle to achieve the American Dream, or in spite of it.…

    • 2100 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The American Dream

    • 1824 Words
    • 8 Pages

    People from all around the world consider America to be the home of endless opportunity; vast amount of career openings, ability for anyone to receive higher education, and quality healthcare, and freedoms not many other countries share. People from across the nation have proven through their own experiences that the American Dream can be achieved. The American Dream is reaching what we dreamed of accomplishing our entire life and more. It is having an enormous dream house, having the newest car, having a huge, happy family, and having the career we have dreamed of since we were a kid. Barack Obama, for example, is America’s first African American president, and Sonia Maria Sotomayor, is America’s first…

    • 1824 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American Dream

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The American Dream is the ability of being able to start from the bottom and earn the things you need and want on your own. It is being able to build yourself up and have full ownership of your belongings and to know that you deserve what you have cause you worked hard enough to earn it. I qualify the statement that America still provides access to the American Dream to the “tired, poor, and the huddled masses” because yes America provides many programs such as Medicare and Medicaid to support the needy, but there are also many people who do not have access to this help and live in poverty where they are unable to acquire the basic needs of life.…

    • 641 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The American Dream originally promised to all who come to the United States is no longer fully accessible to many immigrants and is threatened further by the new trump administration. This is problematic because not only are immigrants still arriving in America with hopes in their hearts to better their lives or give their family a better future, but they are coming with nothing at hand and nowhere to go. Many immigrants still presume that America is still the country, it was during the 1920s when it brought back hope to millions who needed it. In the 1920s the dream was significant at the time since it gave a perception that anyone, regardless of family background, race, sex, and color could achieve upward mobility as long as they came with a strong will to work hard.…

    • 900 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The past iterations of the American dream have stuck to certain tenants, including those of upward mobility or of freedom. However, Generation Z entertains the successor to the American Dream—the American Objective. A shift in ambitions between preceding generations and Generation Z culminating in a mindset less focused on lofty aspirations, and more focused on realistic and achievable ends, thus deserving this changing name for a changing outlook.…

    • 1254 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays