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The American dream is facing growing pains, but it's not because of materialism!

I think it really depends on what you think the American Dream is.

I think that generalizes Americans.

I'm a sahm, obviously not out for money. I have my masters in art therapy, a degree that does not pay well but is in the helping people field. Dh works as a computer programmer for a non profit company. He could make more if he switched to a different company ..... but he likes working for non profit. It makes him feel good about what he does.

Wikipedia defines it as "The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States; a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work."

Is that what we are looking at?

I would agree with @mrbee: I don't think the american dream (by the definition above) is unattainable but I think it has gotten harder and harder to achieve. I think that the generations are getting progressively more lazy, complacent and entitled and are expecting their success to be handed to them rather than having to work for it and I think that those who do want to work are having a hard time because of recession, the gap in the social classes, the job market, etc.

This is an interesting point.

My parents came to America right after they got married with no money and only a student visa for my dad to go to school here. He achieved what I consider the American Dream by the time I was in college: well over six figure salary in a large corporation, 3000 sq ft custom built house in a good suburb, two nice cars, two kids in good colleges. Even though it all came crashing down when he got laid off a few years later, and he's basically given all of his financial future to his kids for down payments, I still think he achieved the American Dream. He'll never be rich and "completely comfortable" (as humans we're never totally satisfied!) but he's comfortable enough and, as long as Social Security doesn't fall apart, he'll have enough after he retires. And he's provided for his children.

I think it depends on how you define the American dream. I don't think it's about materialism, but some people may see the dream as being able to buy more stuff. If the dream is being able to own a home in a safe neighborhood, equal opportunities and access to things like good schools for your children & health care, and having a good (hopefully satisfying) job--then I don't think it's attainable by many, many people and it has nothing to do with materialism.

I like to think of the American Dream (or North American dream, since I'm Canadian and honing in on your thing) as a more abstract thing. It's the freedom to create your own dream life, whatever that may be. For one person, the American Dream might be owning a house instead of renting. For another, the Dream might be giving up a corporate lifestyle and paycheque to make a difference for the little guy. Someone else might Dream of being their own boss, or being able to support their parents when they grow older, or getting a post secondary degree. That's the whole point, we get to decide what we want and work to attain it. I feel like I'm living the dream, and DH and I aren't super wealthy and don't have every little bell and whistle we could ever imagine, but we're exactly where we've always dreamed of being.

*gets off soapbox*

I see the American Dream not as unattainable by some substance or component that America lacks, but as innately unrealistic given our economic structure. I don't think the Dream is dead -- I think it's simply never been realistic. I always defined the American Dream as, you can achieve anything as long as you put your mind to it. Many people define it as financial comfort (not going paycheck to paycheck, not ever worrying about how to pay the bills, not having to sacrifice one thing to have an obligation), owning assets (cars, houses, savings), etc.

Unfortunately, I think that there are a whole slew of occupations where you can work your ass off and never enjoy this Dream, and a small subset of fields that you'd better track yourself into if you want to achieve it.

Which is why it's important to define and reach for your own dream, and not try to achieve some fantastical myth that is essentially a byproduct of mid-20th century propaganda.

I don't think it's a reason not to move to America, though.

To me the American Dream is to be able to work hard to achieve long-term goals. Both of my husband's and my parents were able to achieve these goals. They both came from poor families but they both worked hard to live a good life, raise two good kids and were able to retire in their 50's.

My husband and I both know that we will not be able to achieve the same dream our parents had. It is our dream to work hard, get ahead, provide a good life for our daughter and be able to retire someday. At this point, unfortunately, it is just a dream for us. We work hard, provide a good life for ourselves and our lo but we're not sure we will ever be able to retire.

@mrbee: Touche... you are absolutely right, haha!

I really don't think it is. My husband started a business that has thrived and grown every single year despite the worst economy we've seen in our lifetime (and we come in contact with a lot of people in similar situations). I think it may not be as 'easy' as it's been in the past to have and achieve everything you want but it's far from impossible.

3 out of 4 of our parents are children of immigrants and my husband's parents started a business and it thrived and supported a big family, and my father is a professional who works for himself and did the same thing and now we're doing it too.