Horatio Alger myth

E1002899

American cultural narrative cultural myth ideology meritocratic narrative

The Horatio Alger myth is the American cultural narrative that anyone can rise from poverty to wealth and success through hard work, perseverance, and moral virtue.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form	Occurrences
Horatio Alger rags-to-riches tradition	6

Statements (50)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	American cultural narrative ⓘ cultural myth ⓘ ideology ⓘ meritocratic narrative ⓘ
associatedWith	American Dream NERFINISHED ⓘ Horatio Alger Jr. NERFINISHED ⓘ
assumes	equality of opportunity ⓘ social mobility is widely accessible ⓘ success is primarily individual achievement ⓘ
criticizedBy	Marxist theorists ⓘ critical race theorists ⓘ feminist scholars ⓘ sociologists ⓘ
criticizedFor	being unrealistic ⓘ ignoring structural barriers ⓘ promoting victim-blaming ⓘ supporting neoliberal ideology ⓘ
developedIn	19th-century United States ⓘ
downplays	class barriers ⓘ racism ⓘ sexism ⓘ structural inequality ⓘ
emphasizes	hard work ⓘ individualism ⓘ moral virtue ⓘ perseverance ⓘ personal responsibility ⓘ
hasMainTheme	individual success ⓘ rags-to-riches ⓘ self-made man ⓘ social mobility ⓘ
influences	American Dream discourse ⓘ American economic ideology ⓘ American political rhetoric ⓘ education discourse ⓘ self-help literature ⓘ welfare policy debates ⓘ
namedAfter	Horatio Alger Jr. NERFINISHED ⓘ
originatesFrom	Horatio Alger Jr. novels ⓘ
popularIn	United States NERFINISHED ⓘ
relatedConcept	American exceptionalism NERFINISHED ⓘ bootstrapping ⓘ meritocracy ⓘ self-help ideology ⓘ
representedIn	business biographies ⓘ political speeches ⓘ popular culture ⓘ
usedToJustify	capitalism ⓘ economic inequality ⓘ limited government intervention ⓘ