The Meritocracy Myth by Stephen J Mcnamee

The Meritocracy Myth by Stephen J Mcnamee

There is a pervasive ideology that claims America is a land of unlimited opportunity, and people get out of the system what they put into it based on talent, attitude, hard work, and character. The Meritocracy Myth: Who Gets Ahead and Why deconstructs this idea by identifying factors that suppress, neutralize, or negate merit-based traits. These include economic inheritance, who you know (social capital) and "fitting in" (cultural capital), being at the right place at the right time, unequal access to educational opportunities, and discrimination based on race, sex, age, sexual orientation, physical disability, religion, and physical appearance. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter encourage students to think critically and develop a deeper understanding of why some people succeed and others fail.

New to the Fifth Edition
New discussion of national college admission scandal highlights how educational opportunities are mediated by social class (Chapter 5)Revised Chapter 7, "The Luck Factor," includes discussions of how the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturing of critical goods in the U.S., and the oversupply of college graduates impact the likelihood of intergenerational mobilityNew discussion on reparations as a way to address inequality for historically discriminated against groups reflects current debates (Chapter 10)New discussion of murders of Black suspects by police, Black Lives Matter, and the Dobbs Supreme Court decision illustrate ongoing patterns of discrimination that impact the prospects of Americans (Chapter 9)

Stephen J. McNamee is interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He is the recipient of the University of North Carolina Wilmington Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award, The University of North Carolina Wilmington Distinguished Teaching Professorship Award, and the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors Teaching Award. Robert K. Miller, Jr. (1948-2015) was professor emeritus of sociology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He published widely on the topic of social and economic inequality and was coeditor with Stephen J. McNamee of Inheritance and Wealth in America.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781538173466
ISBN 10	1538173468
Title	The Meritocracy Myth
Author	Stephen Mcnamee
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Rowman And Littlefield Publishers
Year published	2023-08-01
Number of pages	320
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.