American Dream

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American Dream by Mind Map: American Dream

1. Roaring Twenties . . .

1.1. Opportunity and optimism abound!

1.2. Stock soared to an all-time high--the economy seemed endless and powerful.

1.3. Everyone lived the high life, with parties, gaudy fashion (except the flappers; I am rather fond of the flappers), jazz, and a touch of decadence.

1.4. In a Particularly impressive reversal of fortune, the Harlem Renaissance signaled artistic and social awakening of a radically talented yet repressed people group.

2. . . . Meet the Thirties

2.1. Dejection is the name of the game

2.2. The stock market crashes

2.3. The Great Depression reduces once-wealthy people to scraping out a weary existence.

3. Industrious Protestants

3.1. Famous work-ethic

3.2. Foundation of faith and responsibility

3.3. A premium on higher education

4. My American Dream

4.1. I want to achieve significance, not 'success'

4.2. I want to make a difference in my city

4.3. I want to support my family

4.4. I want to leave both a practical and a spiritual legacy for the youth of tomorrow

4.5. . . . And so we come full circle! Back to hard work, a foundation of faith, and dreams of leaving a legacy

5. Anything's Possible!

5.1. Work hard, dream big, and the world's your oyster.

5.2. Your background is no obstacle.

5.3. Everyone can make it, not just an elite few.

6. End of the Road . . . ?

6.1. Massive unemployment

6.1.1. Highest it's been in years

6.1.2. On a personal level, I had to search for over half a year to find a job; I've usually had job offers within weeks.

6.2. Rising debt

6.2.1. I am the only one of my friends who does not have thousands of dollars of outstanding debt in addition to school bills

6.3. Disconcerting downturn in market

6.3.1. Stocks are plummeting, but people seem to have grown used to the idea

6.3.2. Once the housing bubble burst, other major markets suffered

6.3.2.1. I remember writing a paper two years ago on the over-inflated Chinese housing economy and how America needed to prepare for a similar slump; for once I was right!

6.4. The dollar is falling against the other currencies of the world

6.4.1. A good friend of mine used to be a banker in Canada. One of her happiest days was seeing the Canadian dollar outstrip the US dollar. Historic.

7. All is Not Lost

7.1. Alternate economies are taking off

7.1.1. Fair trade

7.1.2. Microfinance

7.1.3. Rotating Credit Associations

7.1.4. Business as Mission

7.2. People are beginning to care about living well, not living large

7.2.1. Shopping locally

7.2.2. Avoiding credit

7.2.3. Relational healthcare

7.3. New opportunities for outside-the-box education

8. Post-War Boom

8.1. The rise of the suburb

8.2. The G.I. Bill brings college education within reach