Sunday, March 29, 2009

Dumhoff "Who Rules America?"

1. What does the term ‘wealth distribution’ describe?
Has to do with the concentration of ownership of marketable assets, which may include tangibles such as stocks, bonds and copyrights, also insurance polices, houses, cars, and furniture.
2. Look at the chart on p. 197. Has wealth become more concentrated in the wealthy sections of the population of the U.S. since 1983? Has the net worth of the wealthy gone up or down during that time period?
No at all. From 1982-1992 Only 1% of the population has got some wealth, the other 99% has descrease. Comparing results from 1983 to 1992 the net has also decrease. As we can see on the table the net worth has decrease on the 80% of the population, by 1983 it was 18.7 and on 1992 it was 16.3. In other words it has decrease 2.4% But for the wealthy that is only 1% of the population we can see that by 1983-1989 the net worth increase 5.2% (1983 it was 33.8, 1989 39.2) but, by 1992 it went down to 37.2 There was not any significant change.

3. What kinds of schools do they go to?
They receive a distinctive education. This education begins early in life in preschools that frequently are attached to a neighborhood, church or high social status. Schooling continues during the elementary years at a local private school called a day school. During the adolescent years the student may remain at day school, but there is a strong chance that at least one or two years will be spent away from home at a boarding school in a quiet rural setting. Higher education will take place at one of a small number of heavily endowed private colleges and universities.

4. How are their schools different from public schools in terms of language and culture?
For example, in those private schools the principal is a headmaster or rector, the teachers are sometimes called masters, and the students are in forms, not grades. Great emphasis is placed on the building of "character." The role of the school in preparing the future leaders of America is emphasized through the speeches of the headmaster and the frequent mention of successful alumni.
5. What are their jobs?
Their job is to create a feeling of separateness and superiority that comes from having survived a rigorous education. Eving Goffman calls "total institutions," isolating their members from the outside world and providing them with a set of routines and traditions that encompass most of their waking hours.
"At school we were made to feel somewhat better than other people becuase of our class. That existed, and I've always disliked it intensely. Unfortunately, I'm afraid some of these things rub off on one." states a retired business leader.

6. How does their lifestyle become institutionalized, and made into a relatively permanent structure? What is an example of one way that this happens?
A majority of private schools graduates pursue careers in business, finance, or corporate law. For example, a classification of the occupations of a sample of the graduates of four private schools like St.Mark's, Groton, Hotchkiss, and Andover showed that the most frequent occupation for all but the Andover graduates was some facet of finance and banking. Others became presidents of medium-size businesses or were partners in large corporate law firms. A small handful went to work as executives for major national coorporations.

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