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Dreams of a Lifetime: How Who We Are Shapes How We Imagine Our Future
How social status shapes our dreams of the future and inhibits the lives we envision for ourselves
Most of us understand that a person’s place in society can close doors to opportunity, but anything is possible when we dream about what might be, or so we think. Dreams of a Lifetime reveals that what and how we dream—and whether we believe our dreams can actually come true—are tied to our social class, gender, race, age, and life events.
Karen Cerulo and Janet Ruane argue that our social location shapes the seemingly private and unique life of our minds. We are all free to dream about possibilities, but not all dreamers are equal. Cerulo and Ruane show how our social position ingrains itself on our mind’s eye, quietly influencing the nature of our dreams, whether we embrace dreaming or dream at all, and whether we believe that our dreams, from the attainable to the improbable, can become realities. They explore how inequalities stemming from social disadvantages pattern our dreams for ourselves, and how sociocultural disparities in how we dream exacerbate social inequalities and limit the life paths we believe are open to us.
Drawing on a wealth of original interviews with people from diverse social backgrounds, Dreams of a Lifetime demonstrates how the study of our dreams can provide new avenues for understanding and combating inequality—including inequalities that precede action or outcome.
Most of us understand that a person’s place in society can close doors to opportunity, but anything is possible when we dream about what might be, or so we think. Dreams of a Lifetime reveals that what and how we dream—and whether we believe our dreams can actually come true—are tied to our social class, gender, race, age, and life events.
Karen Cerulo and Janet Ruane argue that our social location shapes the seemingly private and unique life of our minds. We are all free to dream about possibilities, but not all dreamers are equal. Cerulo and Ruane show how our social position ingrains itself on our mind’s eye, quietly influencing the nature of our dreams, whether we embrace dreaming or dream at all, and whether we believe that our dreams, from the attainable to the improbable, can become realities. They explore how inequalities stemming from social disadvantages pattern our dreams for ourselves, and how sociocultural disparities in how we dream exacerbate social inequalities and limit the life paths we believe are open to us.
Drawing on a wealth of original interviews with people from diverse social backgrounds, Dreams of a Lifetime demonstrates how the study of our dreams can provide new avenues for understanding and combating inequality—including inequalities that precede action or outcome.
- GenresSociologyNonfiction
280 pages, Paperback
Published May 14, 2024
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November 24, 2023A sociological exploration of dream (as in American Dream, not sleep dream).
As a cultural sociologist, Cerulo wants to explore if there are different patterns of dreams among different social groups and examine the influence of culture on their formation of dreams. Cerulo conducted interviews with 200+ people in the U.S, either in one-on-one or focus groups, then used the interviewees' descriptions of their dreams to argue that one's social position can shape one's dream. Because the research is mainly for exploratory purpose, the factors examined are broad including gender, race, class, age and others. As the book delves into each factor, it becomes a tad formulaic for me. Using concepts from cultural theory and phenomenology, Cerulo provides some explanations as to why different groups have different dreams. (I don't intend to list these explanations.)
Dream of a Lifetime doesn't seem to offer new theory to the field of cultural sociology. Instead, it is a good introduction academic book for those interested in cultural sociology. The research is simple yet polished (though I don't have any qualification to make these claims), and the book is written without much jargon.
As a cultural sociologist, Cerulo wants to explore if there are different patterns of dreams among different social groups and examine the influence of culture on their formation of dreams. Cerulo conducted interviews with 200+ people in the U.S, either in one-on-one or focus groups, then used the interviewees' descriptions of their dreams to argue that one's social position can shape one's dream. Because the research is mainly for exploratory purpose, the factors examined are broad including gender, race, class, age and others. As the book delves into each factor, it becomes a tad formulaic for me. Using concepts from cultural theory and phenomenology, Cerulo provides some explanations as to why different groups have different dreams. (I don't intend to list these explanations.)
Dream of a Lifetime doesn't seem to offer new theory to the field of cultural sociology. Instead, it is a good introduction academic book for those interested in cultural sociology. The research is simple yet polished (though I don't have any qualification to make these claims), and the book is written without much jargon.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review