抄録
The American Dream is a powerful narrative that defines what it means to be American and shapes the American national identity. In this article, I analyze how this narrative has been discussed in the academic field of Communication Studies. A critical review of the relevant literature reveals that Communication Studies scholarship has discussed the American Dream in five major ways: 1) American Dream as material and moral myths, 2) American Dream as a myth that preserves the status quo, 3) American Dream as an opportunity to overturn the status quo, 4) American Dream as a narrative that facilitates geographical mobility, and 5) American Dream as a narrative that facilitates social mobility. By examining these five interpretations of the American Dream in detail, I delineate the scope of this broad concept.
