North American Sociology, United States Studies - General & Miscellaneous, Inequality, Social Mobility

The Meritocracy Myth

Name: The Meritocracy Myth
Author: Stephen J. McNamee
ISBN: 9780742561687

by Stephen J. McNamee, Robert K. Miller

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Overview

The Meritocracy Myth challenges the widely held American belief in meritocracy_that people get out of the system what they put into it based on individual merit. Fully revised and updated throughout, the second edition includes compelling new case studies, such as the impact of social and cultural capital in the cases of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and new material on current topics such as the impact of the financial and credit crisis, intergenerational mobility, and the impact of racism and sexism. The Meritocracy Myth examines talent, attitude, work ethic, and character as elements of merit and evaluates the effect of non-merit factors such as social status, race, heritage, and wealth on meritocracy. A compelling book on an often-overlooked topic, the first edition was highly regarded and proved a useful examination of this classic American ideal.

Synopsis

About the Author, Stephen J. McNamee

Stephen J. McNamee is professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Robert K. Miller, Jr. is professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

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Editorials

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Praise for the First Edition:

This well-written and researched book on a neglected topic is a must-read. Essential.

Ronald C. Wimberley

Every sociology student should read this clear and compelling book, and their instructors should too! The Meritocracy Myth reminds many of us why we became interested in sociology in the first place. And I suspect that many sociology students will soon find the same.

Judi Kessler

The Meritocracy Myth deconstructs the discourse around the American Dream in a manner that is accessible by, and doesn't talk down to, the typical undergrad. Exceptionally well-written.

Paul Durrenberger

In the land of opportunity, hard work and playing by the rules pays off and merit is rewarded by success. This American myth of success is powerful camouflage for a political economy based on racial and gender prejudice and class privilege. The wide-awake sociology of McNamee and Miller shines the bright light of reality on the myth to show that birth counts and education doesn’t, and while luck is important, no one can count on it and those who play by the rules benefit least. So while the ideology of meritocracy and individualism may bring comfort to the well connected, the lucky, the cheaters and the privileged, it disguises the social, economic and political realities that they rely on for their success.

Beth Davison

The Meritocracy Myth exposes the deceptive American rhetoric that hard work, talent and virtue are all that is necessary to make it to the top. With inequalities at the core of sociology, The Meritocracy Myth makes a valuable contribution to the field by closely examining the contributing mechanisms that perpetuate class disparities. For sociology students, reading The Meritocracy Myth is a great application of important sociological concepts and theories to explain how all of our lives are influenced by socio-economic class arrangements. The third edition is as relevant as ever in highlighting the importance of cultural myths that justify the exceedingly inequitable distribution of wealth in our modern society.