The Meritocracy Myth Third Edition

McNamee and Miller explain that meritocracy is a myth and that there is no substitute for starting in advance of others in life, and that being female or a minority definitely makes you start behind. In this third edition, they lay out proof while streamlining their narrative. They examine the origins of the American dream, analyze the case for a merit-based system, and discuss the issue of inheritance (the “silver spoon”). They then go into the truth: social and cultural capital, education and mobility, and the luck factor count more than simply hard work. They describe other factors, such as the decline of self-employment and the ascent of corporations, racism, and sexism. They close with the observation that meritocracy is growing more and more into being a myth as inequality grows in the twenty-first century. ― Book News, Inc.

Revised and updated third edition presents a challenge to the widely held American belief in meritocracy and considers the effect of nonmerit factors such as social status, race, heritage, and wealth of upward mobility. Discusses the American dream…racism, sexism, and other forms of inequality, and growing inequality in the twenty-first century. ― Journal of Economic Literature

Every sociology student should read this clear and compelling book, and their instructors should too! The Meritocracy Myth reminds many of us why we became interested in sociology in the first place. And I suspect that many sociology students will soon find the same. — Ronald C. Wimberley, North Carolina State University

The Meritocracy Myth exposes the deceptive American rhetoric that hard work, talent and virtue are all that is necessary to make it to the top. With inequalities at the core of sociology, The Meritocracy Myth makes a valuable contribution to the field by closely examining the contributing mechanisms that perpetuate class disparities. For sociology students, reading The Meritocracy Myth is a great application of important sociological concepts and theories to explain how all of our lives are influenced by socio-economic class arrangements. The third edition is as relevant as ever in highlighting the importance of cultural myths that justify the exceedingly inequitable distribution of wealth in our modern society. — Beth Davison, Appalachian State University

The Meritocracy Myth deconstructs the discourse around the American Dream in a manner that is accessible by, and doesn’t talk down to, the typical undergrad. Exceptionally well-written. — Judi Kessler, Monmouth College

In the land of opportunity, hard work and playing by the rules pays off and merit is rewarded by success.The wide-awake sociology of McNamee and Miller shines the bright light of reality on the myth to show that birth counts more and education less, and while luck is important, no one can count on it and those who play by the rules often benefit least. — Paul Durrenberger, Pennsylvania State University