Dreams of a Lifetime
Karen A. Cerulo
Hardcover ISBN: 9780691229096 $27.95/£22.00
Dreams of a Lifetime: How Who We Are Shapes How We Imagine Our Future
Karen A. Cerulo and Janet M. Ruane
How social status shapes our dreams of the future and inhibits the lives we envision for ourselves
Published (US):
Published (UK):
10 b/w illus. 3 tables.
Praise 3
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 combatting inequality—including inequalities that precede action or outcome.
Karen A. Cerulo is professor of sociology at Rutgers University and editor of Sociological Forum. Her books include Never Saw It Coming: Cultural Challenges to Envisioning the Worst. Janet M. Ruane is professor emerita of sociology at Montclair State University. Her books include Introducing Social Research Methods and (with Karen A. Cerulo) Second Thoughts: Sociology Challenges Conventional Wisdom.
"Dreams of a Lifetime compellingly argues that dreams tell us about our essences—who we are and who we want to be. By treating dreams as cultural scripts, Cerulo and Ruane reveal surprising patterns that inform debates about narrative, cognition, values, and the self. With richly textured analyses of dreams dashed, deferred, and desired, Cerulo and Ruane write with empathy and compassion. Dreams of a Lifetime is an engaging book that makes important sociological contributions."—Terence E. McDonnell, coauthor of Measuring Culture
"This is an intensely wonderful book. Cerulo and Ruane open a new door into both the personal and the social psyches, offering us wholly new understandings of American culture and the ways different sorts of people live their lives. It is not to be missed."—John Levi Martin, author of Social Structures
"With insight and care, Cerulo and Ruane vividly demonstrate that dreams are not the unique imaginings of individuals but rather patterned states of mind that reflect one's place in an unequal social landscape. This pioneering book shows how where we stand shapes what we dream, and uncovers the rich possibilities people imagine when they are invited to envision the life they wish they could have."—Kathleen Gerson, New York University
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