Bootstrapped : liberating ourselves from the American Dream / Alissa Quart.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Quart, Alissa, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social classes.

American Dream.

Self-reliance.

Equality.

Genre:

Nonfiction.

Physical Description:

xii, 276 pages ; 24 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2023]

Summary:

Examines the American obsession with self-reliance and how it has led to inequality, self-blame, and shifted the responsibility for survival onto the backs of ordinary people.

"The promise that you can "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" is central to the story of the American Dream. It's the belief that if you work hard and rely on your own resources, you will eventually succeed. However time and again we have seen how this foundational myth, with its emphasis on individual determination, brittle self-sufficiency, and personal accomplishment, does not help us. Instead, as income inequality rises around us, we are left with shame and self-blame for our condition. Acclaimed journalist Alissa Quart argues that at the heart of our suffering is a do-it-yourself ethos, the misplaced belief in our own independence and the conviction that we must rely on ourselves alone. Looking at a range of delusions and half solutions--from "grit" to the false Horatio Alger story to the rise of GoFundMe--Quart reveals how we have been steered away from robust social programs that would address the root causes of our problems. Meanwhile, the responsibility for survival has been shifted onto the backs of ordinary people, burdening generations with debt instead of providing the social safety net we so desperately need"--Dust jacket flap.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: pt. I CREATORS OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

1. The Backstory

2. Where's Walden?

3. Little House of Propaganda

4. The Horatio Alger Lie

pt. II BROKERS OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

5. Rich Fictions

6. The Self-Made Voter

7. Zen Incorporated

pt. III BURDENS OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

8. Go Fund Yourself

9. Mothers' Revolution

10. The Con of the Side Hustle

pt. IV TOWARD A NEW AMERICAN DREAM

11. Class Traitors

12. The Feeling Is Mutual Aid

13. Boss Workers

14. Inequality Therapy

15. Volunteering Ourselves

16. Unmaking the Self-Made Myth.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 235-261) and index.

ISBN:

9780063028005

006302800X

OCLC:

1371927711