Aronson Pamela
Behavioral Sciences Department, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI, USA.
Int J Psychol. 2017 Feb;52(1):49-57. doi: 10.1002/ijop.12396. Epub 2016 Nov 1.
This study examines contradictions in the "American Dream" during the Great Recession: young adults maintained high educational aspirations, yet perceived little opportunity for their educational achievements to help them fulfil their dreams of financial prosperity and work stability. Based on in-depth interviews with 85 young college students and recent graduates, this study found that college enrolment was propelled by the recession, as a college degree, and often a graduate or professional degree, was perceived as an increasingly necessary credential. Despite these high educational aspirations, students and recent graduates were fearful about their capacity to find future work and they expressed concerns about the collapse of employment opportunity. Many were also wary of educational institutions, which they viewed as unable to prepare them for a shrinking job market. These perceptions reveal a contradiction in the "American Dream:" although young adults have high aspirations and achievements, they have lost confidence in the educational and work institutions upon which they must depend.
本研究审视了大衰退期间“美国梦”中存在的矛盾之处：年轻人虽保持着较高的教育抱负，但却觉得凭借自身的教育成就，几乎没有机会实现经济富足和工作稳定的梦想。基于对85名年轻大学生和应届毕业生的深度访谈，本研究发现，经济衰退推动了大学入学率的上升，因为大学学位，通常是研究生学位或专业学位，被视为越来越必要的资质证明。尽管有着这些较高的教育抱负，但学生和应届毕业生对自己未来找到工作的能力感到担忧，他们对就业机会的崩溃表示关切。许多人还对教育机构持谨慎态度，他们认为这些机构无法让他们为不断萎缩的就业市场做好准备。这些认知揭示了“美国梦”中的一个矛盾：尽管年轻人有很高的抱负和成就，但他们对自己必须依赖的教育和工作机构失去了信心。
