Can Achieving the American Dream Change Society for the Better?
Ah, the American Dream. We all strive for that big house in the suburbs, the comfortable car to take us on the road to our dream vacation, and the right college education to secure the future we dream of, right? Or perhaps, our dream is to travel the world, flying to far-off, exotic-sounding places, then hiking our way through that country and interacting with the locals. Or maybe, our dream is to pursue our passions rather than living by our pocketbook, by opening our own coffee shop or art gallery, and living out our days in never-ending pleasure because we are doing what we love rather than what pays the bills. Whatever your version of the American Dream may be, it is certain that you believe it is attainable, or why even dream about it?
Most of us have dreams about how we would like our future lives to be. For many of us, that may include the ideal that we will finish high school, go on to college, graduate, and land a decent paying job. We will work hard to pay off our college debt, buy a new car, and get married. We will buy our first home, have a few kids, buy a bigger home and bigger cars to better take care of our expanding families. After all, that is the ideal that is presented to us on television — you know, the commercials and programs that encourage us to get what we want in a home or car because somehow we deserve it.
For many people, however, the American Dream does not exist. Although the current debates in Congress about changing the tax code structure for American taxpayers have us living in hope, the reality is that, “nationwide, approximately 63.9 percent of families own their own homes according to the latest census data” (Ingraham, washingtonpost.com) That leaves thirty-six percent of American families without their own homes. For these people, home ownership may never be possible. Neither will traveling the world, starting a business, or pursuing a passion such as music or poetry. And for some people, going to college is simply out of the question.
Whatever the reasons for not pursing one’s dreams, hope is dashed. Without hope for a better future, it is easy to fall into despair. The constant worries about meeting financial obligations, the anxiety over having basic necessities, and the fear about what the future may hold all may drive a person to give up on their dreams and, at the most desperate moments, to give up on life itself. How can any kind of social change occur in such an atmosphere of hopelessness?
People born into poverty can rarely see their way out of it, as generation after generation of their family line has wrestled with it. The ideal of owning a home, if the desire was present, would always be out of reach unless new ways of thinking are instituted. Some of the obvious paths to take would be to finish high school, attend a trade school or community college, and get a job that pays well above minimum wage. But sometimes, even with the best of intentions, this is not possible. People may desire to earn their diploma or high school equivalency; nevertheless, they are unable to read well or do simple math and just can’t pass the testing requirements. Sometimes, people are lazy, and all the motivational encouragement given to them does not produce the intended results of accomplishing the task of furthering their educations.
The government system of welfare and other assistance programs does nothing to motivate people to change, either. If anything, these systems keep people right where they are. A good example of this happened recently to an acquaintance of mine. She wanted to do the right thing by reporting a small increase in her earnings. Immediately, she was given a rent increase! How is anyone able to get ahead if being honest only penalizes a person? Rather than allowing her to save that amount every month toward a security deposit on a better apartment, one where she could possibly escape from public housing, she is forced to pay more for the apartment she is currently living in. This will essentially prevent her from being able to move up to better accommodations. No wonder people become hopeless about their situations in life.
If the government is unable to rescue people from a dependency-type lifestyle, and people themselves feel trapped by the way they live, where is their help going to come from? I believe the church is the greatest source for social change. Churches are often well equipped with educated people who could be mentors to undereducated people. If the right connections were made, mentorships could enable people seeking greater advancement in their education to be linked with people who have the skills to help them learn good study habits. Perhaps they could read assignments together, answer questions about their homework, and practice test questions together. Sometimes, folks just need encouragement to move forward.
Christians can offer hope to those who have difficult circumstances that they can’t find their way out of. One suggestion would be to work with those who are trying to obtain their high school equivalency. No matter what your age, young or old, encouragement in the form of motivation to obtain any goal can be necessary to achieve that goal. Merely telling someone, “You can do this,” gives the person hope. Coming alongside them and being available for them gives them a foundation to try something they may have failed in the past. Set reasonable goals, assure them of success, and provide action steps for them to follow. Breaking down the work into manageable chunks will help the aspiring student to see small successes more frequently.
Another suggestion for providing hope and facilitating change in someone’s life is to provide a network of support for the individual. A local church body is a great place for this to occur. The right church will be one that preaches and teaches the Word of God. There will be grace and mercy exhibited. Forgiveness and honesty will be present. A warm, loving family atmosphere can help heal any wounds of the past that someone may have experienced in an ungracious church encounter. It will be a place to learn and grow in the faith, and it will provide a foundation for stability in a person’s life.
If one person in a family improves his or her living conditions, whether it is through education, growth in faith, a better job, or a move to a cleaner, safer neighborhood, it could inspire other family members to make changes in their lives. As the family’s living conditions improve, the generational outlook of that family will improve. As each subsequent generation finishes high school, the expectancy that every family member finishes high school will increase. The hope that began in one person’s life can impact future generations and fill them with hope, the hope of a brighter future, where poverty and lack are no longer the guiding principles of their lives.
Although each human being is “a creature who reasons, wills, acts, and chooses . . . human conduct is not totally determined by socioeconomic factors” (Burwell 397). In other words, humans are not solely driven by the need to succeed in every endeavor and make bundles of money. Sometimes, achieving a lifelong goal is the hope factor that is necessary to promote overall change in someone’s life. This in turn, promotes a change in thinking for that person. When thoughts are directed to the benefits of change and the impact one change can make in a life, more positive changes may follow.
Ultimately, God alone can sustain change in one’s life for the better. He is the provider of hope and healing that promotes a person to change. He is the one who cleanses us from sin, makes us right with him, and convinces us to keep working for the change we need to see in our lives. As we come to know and trust him more, he continues to change the way we think, so we can experience the hope that will propel us forward. As we read and study his Holy Word, we will grow to be more like him. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Romans15:4 NIV).
The hope that God gives us through his word is a hope that will endure. Although many times we can’t see our way through the fog of confusion that surrounds us, if we put our trust in God to lead us, we can be assured of his presence and guidance. Depending on God frees us to follow him and gives us the courage to change our thinking patterns. When we change the way we think, we can change our outlook in life. When we envision a brighter future for ourselves and our families, we gain encouragement and power from God to bring about the changes we need to make. When we are connected to a loving, caring church family, we can experience life, with all its struggles and challenges, together. Gaining strength and wisdom from those who are around us who are more mature in the faith helps us grow in the faith. Our growth impacts our families, who then have the potential to be changed. Our family impacts our neighbors with positive change and, given time, entire communities will begin to change. This is the societal change that will benefit an entire city, if enough people can encourage one another and bring hope to their generation.
Works Cited
Burwell, Ronald. “Social Change.” Christian Perspectives on Sociology,” Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2001.
Ingraham, Christopher. “How many families actually own half-million dollar homes?” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/11/03/how-many-families-actually-own-half-million-dollar-homes/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories-2_wonk-halfmillion-5pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.d469c64caea7. Web accessed 11/3/17.
The Holy Bible. New International Version Study Bible, Zondervan, 1985.
