Quick Introductions

● Name● PGP● Year at Wooster● Major or possible major

Meritocracy Myths and Occupy Wall Street

Inequality in AmericaFriday, 1/20/12

Meritocracy Myth

How do the authors define this? What does it have to do with "resource distribution"?

Income and Wealth

What is the difference between income and wealth?

Culture of Poverty

How does the "culture of poverty" discourse explain why some people are poor?

Nonmerit Barriers to Mobility

What do they mean by this? Why do they refer to these as "social gravity"?

Nonmerit Barriers to Mobility

● Inheritance● Social capital● Cultural capital● Demand side of job market● Location and region● Education● Self-employment● Deindustrialization● Discrimination

College Admissions

McNamee and Miller argue that inheritance can be thought of as "unequal starting points in the race to get ahead." How could we apply this, and other aspects of nonmerit barriers to mobility, to the issue of college admissions?

Recommendations for Change

● Eliminate/reduce discrimination● Redistribution of wealth from the wealthy● Progressive tax system● Government resources toward education,

healthcare, etc.

Naomi Klein & Yotam Marom

What are some of the key themes in their conversation? What do they think the challenges and possibilities are for the Occupy movements? In what ways can we see the issues they discuss as connected to the myth of meritocracy?