The Meritocracy Myth

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.";Acknowledgments -- The american dream : origins and prospects -- On being made of the right stuff : the case for merit -- The silver spoon : inheritance and the staggered start -- It's not what you know but -- : social and cultural capital -- Making the grade : education and mobility -- Being in the right place at the right time : the luck factor -- I did it my way : the decline of self-employment and the ascent of corporations -- An unlevel playing field : racism, sexism, and other isms -- Growing inequality in the twenty-first century -- Index -- About the authors.