Summary Of Gerome Karabel's Essay Battle Over Merit

Examining the American Dream through a Dystopian Lens Meritocracy: the idea that success is achieved through talent and hard work. When it comes to the pursuit of happiness, most Americans would fervently affirm that everyone deserves an equal chance at prosperity. That is the “American Dream” after all; a land of social mobility with no barrier to success. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the nature of this equality. Whereas some are convinced that equal opportunity is just, others maintain that only equality of condition could be sufficient. In the essay “Battle Over Merit”, Jerome Karabel describes how many liberal reformists have now abandoned their previous doctrine of equality of circumstance: “primary threat to the
Alpha scientists chemically and genetically alter test tube babies to produce castes, and Beta teachers brainwash kids through sleep hypnosis. Adults are constantly high on drugs, and far too happy to revolt. Opportunity to succeed for the lower classes is inherently unattainable. We use a very different, yet equally effective measures to neutralize dissent towards the admission process. Through the creation of scholarships or Affirmative Action, disadvantaged groups seem to be given sufficient opportunity to enter prestigious institutions. Yet in “Battle Over Merit”, Young describes this as “equality of opportunity to be unequal” (Karabel 556). Even though exceptional individuals from these groups can be accepted, the requirements for acceptance still favor those who have been traditionally accepted. Admitting just a few students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds allows the privilege to relax and think that their success is just reward for their own capacity, for their own efforts, and for their undeniable achievement” and people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to think “that they have had every chance and have little choice but to recognize their inferior status is due not as in the past to a denial of opportunity, but to their own deficiencies” (Karabel 556). What adds to the façade of equal opportunity is that prestigious institutions are so competitive that it is less likely for a
Families in the bottom 50% of income distribution made up only 10% of the Princeton freshman class in 1997, and just 8% of Yale freshman were first generation students in 2001 (Karabel 537). This should worry those that believe that the American dream is still alive. Because if it is—if people are rewarded based on their talents—wouldn’t these statistics suggest that there is something inherent and genetic about merit? This type of conjecture would rouse indignant anger in most, but is nevertheless what the system we subscribe to implies. The majority of Americans believe that we have equal opportunities to get ahead and only 27% favor sanctioned minimum standard of living (Karabel 556). Moreover, Americans believe that there is more social mobility in the United States than other countries. This is comparable to how the majority of citizens of the World State is extremely satisfied with life and religiously believe they have it better than the “savages”. Even Epsilons, the lowest caste, are extremely fulfilled. Americans also erroneously believe they have it better than others: 19% of Americans believe they are in the top 1% of the income distribution and an additional 20% are confident that they will be be one day (Karabel 557). In both societies,