Meritocracy Myth

Orginally posted June 22, 2009

We are relieved every time the Obama administration selects someone who graduated from Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. We have been concerned by the special attention that has been given to graduates of Cortland State, Middle Tennessee State, Roosevelt University, and Purdue University.

Sarcasm aside, we are pleased whenever anyone gets out of the "South Bronx" (Sotomayor) or the "South Side" of Chicago (the Obamas),but these locational mythic stories say nothing about the journey. They are always presented as a story of the "American Dream," but it is never really told in full so that the public may really see how the "rags to riches" story really works. What are some elements of the "full story?"

The full story is that all elite colleges have "creaming" programs which involve searching for a small number of the most talented high schoolers with American Dream stories (drug addict mother; single parent struggling against odds) that they can bring to campus in the hope that they have found a "jewel" who will eventually join the privileged class. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton don't search for for talent in just any high school in the South Bronx or on the South Side, but they go to "feeder" high schools that participate in the American Dream-Myth of Meritocracy programs with elite colleges.

These high profile stories validate the belief in equality of opportunity without making any changes in the social structures of inequality that inhibit real opportunity for most American high school students. The creaming programs make elite schools look good, the feeder high schools look good, and the success story winners are forever grateful to the system. The main result is that the myth of meritocracy prevails. Those who are left behind in the South Bronx or the South Side have only themselves to blame for not taking advantage of their opportunities.

The biggest winners in this mobilty game are the privileged class graduates of elite institutions who become associated with the achievments of those who have been "creamed" from the South Bronx. All these graduates of elite schools become viewed as the "best of the best;" the high achievers at the countries finest universities who are certainly deserving of their high salaries, wealth, appointments to the Supreme Court, or any other high position in the public or private sector.