The+American+Dream+for+Women

= The American Dream for Women = ﻿ Essential Question:
 * What is the American dream and which gender has a better chance of achieving it?

Challenge Question:
 * What can be done to give women a better chance at achieving the American Dream?

Guiding Questions:
 * What is the American Dream?
 * What is the difference between the American Dream for men and women?
 * Have men had to face any of the same struggles that women have had in order to achieve the American Dream?
 * What kind of discrimination occurs between men and women today?

Guiding Activities Guiding Resources
 * Survey
 * Find statistics for men and women for employment rates& graduation rates.
 * our own personal opinions as female Americans in America.


 * http://www.pay-equity.org/PDFs/ProfWomen.pdf
 * http://www.womensmedia/com/new/Lips-Hilary-gender-wage-gaps.html
 * http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream/thedream.html
 * http://www.cyberlearning-world.com/nhhs/project/ginapd2.htm
 * http://www.dol.gov/wb/factsheets/Qf-ESWM07.htm
 * http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:YEO_t4As8WoJ:www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf+employment+rates+for+men+and+women+graph&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgQLj961lizP-1QLFd1SGelTf33xBHIlzwonCbUAkoyiYXTZ6ovNAFHel7Nf2vpVqsNo0VLsOwM3euWlYtT2CEP-m3wNbBsBhPH-HzbxXzecLobQV7SFAOitUQ6PbnAD-WceA_f&sig=AHIEtbR2-IYZd-Y6MuoI-LL_gx2kaQxPjw
 * http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/07/07/128359804/unemployment-rate-men-vs-women
 * http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/censusandstatistics/a/paygapgrows.htm
 * http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:vcb_-qFjThsJ:www.iwpr.org/pdf/C350.pdf+statistics+between+men+and+women+in+the+us&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiSQvFQKSK3EXltI70vyNnlZs22ky6oopHAoyJUi0pn2J2ACMwRgVGbAeJDGjQw2mPglFIxk0zksF8UGjoZjLgnqNHH5pGf6YMe0raLyo75stqoFQM5GNQ7hOOTnQvwO321Vl2d&sig=AHIEtbTG78cCsAJLwAuELuQOcbd1HE7PRw
 * http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream/thedream.html

=Solution Paragraphs:=

After doing research and taking a survey with a total of 385 people, we have found that it is said to be easier for men to achieve the American Dream.

The American Dream is essentially the idea in which everyone can succeed through hard work, and that every person is entitled to live a happy and successful life. When our forefathers laid down the laws of our land and the rights of all citizens in the United States Constitution, they said that all men are created equal, and they are born with unalienable rights that include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The ideas of these men can be considered the foundation of what we now consider to be the “American Dream.”
 * What is the American Dream? **


 * What is the difference between the American Dream for men and women?**

Many people think there is a difference in the American Dream for men and women and their ability to achieve it. While some people think men have a better chance of achieving it, others think it is equal. A school wide survey at Pascack Valley High School showed that 54 percent of women think that men have a better chance of achieving the American Dream, 42 percent thought it was equal, and 2 percent thought women had a better chance of achieving it. The survey for men showed that 61 percent thought men have a better chance, 4 percent believed women had a better chance, and 34 percent thought it was equal. This data shows that overall, more people think men have a higher chance of achieving the American Dream. The difference between the American Dream for men and women is that most people think men have a better chance. People have always thought that men were given more opportunities and had more rights than women.

Although men and women should treated equally, there still is some discrimination occurring. Many statistics have shown that men make more money than women. For example, women make 75.5 cents per every dollar a man makes. Statistics also show that even as early as 1960, women have never made the same, or more than men per year. These results are the same for statistics that show weekly earnings for males and females. The most recent statistic says that women earn an average of $657 per week while men earn an average of $819. Although men and women have equal rights based on law, there still is some discrimination that occurs. If no discrimination occurred then the statistics would not show such a big difference in salaries. This is just one example of the discrimination that occurs.
 * What kind of discrimination occurs between men and women today?**

This leads us to the conclusion that women have a more difficult time achieving the American dream than men, because as it is first defined, part of the dream is to be rich and have a home. If a woman has to work just as hard as a man to earn less than him, then it is more difficult to afford a home and make the money that they really deserve. For example, the average earnings of a woman with a bachelor's degree was almost 36% less than a man with similar qualifications. A woman with a doctoral degree earned more than $21,208 (or 27%) less than a man with the same qualifications.

I have a personal experience dealing with men and women discrimination. Recently, my mom and I had an argument with a few of the workers at a store. We explained to them our problem and they kept telling us there was nothing they could do. After long conversations in the store and on the phone, my dad decided to talk to them. Once he talked to them the whole situation was fixed. This shows that men are viewed as stronger and better than women.

Throughout history, it has been a stereotype that women stay at home and clean and take care of the house while the man is out working. Most jobs were said to be just for men, while little to none were for women. Men did not have to struggle with making their own money or finding jobs throughout history as much as women, so they were not as discriminated against as women. From this, we can conclude that men have always had a better chance of achieving the American Dream because their pay has almost always been larger than womens'.
 * Have men had to face any of the same struggles that women have had in order to achieve the American Dream?**

To give women an equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream, they should be given more pay while at work. If they have the same education as a man, and they have the same job, they should earn the same amount. To enforce this, the question that is often seen on job applications that ask whether you are a female or a male should be eliminated. And on the application for the job, a standard wage should be stated so that whether a man or a woman gets the job, they get paid the same. This would make the American Dream more reachable for women because with more money, they can afford a home and things to make them happy, as stated in the American Dream.
 * What can be done to make the chances more equal? **