We’re very excited to welcome Maya Dukmasova as a guest blogger this weekend. Maya is an intern with Zogby International and a junior at the University of Rochester, working on a dual B.A. in Philosophy and Religion. Originally from Saint Petersburg, Russia, she currently lives in Syracuse, NY and will be spending the coming semester studying philosophy in Paris, France. She also writes an intependent blog with interviews and impressions of ‘Life in a New Russia’ www.newspblife.com . Thanks Maya!

One of the major themes that have come out as a result of research for The Way We’ll Be is an emergent demographic which considers the Planet Earth rather than America or their city or town to be their primary place of residence. It would seem intuitive that people who chose the first option to call home would be most dissimilar to those who chose the narrowest geographic and political boundaries within which to identify their place of residence. However, in numbers from a January 6, 2009 Interactive Survey, it appears that it’s actually the residents of America whose opinions are most contrasted to those of our new Global Citizens. One good example of the divergent opinions of these two groups can be found among responses to our beloved questions about the American Dream.

When it comes to the American Dream, most of those who see themselves as Americans first as well as the majority of Planet Earth citizens believe that the American Dream exists and that it is possible for them to achieve it (62% and 42%, respectively).

Both groups believe that the American Dream is predominantly about spiritual fulfillment, though more “Nationals” than “Globals” think that the middle class can still achieve the Dream (61.8% to 33.8%, respectively). Conversely, it is those who define themselves primarily as residents of their city/town who have the highest percentage of respondents equating the Dream to material success (42% as opposed to 38% among “Nationals” and 32.5% among “Globals”).

More behind the cut.. Read more…

Katy Uncategorized American dream, death, international, religion, The Way We'll Be, work, zogby

If you’ve taken a few of our surveys , you’ll know that one of our favorite topics is the American Dream – what it is, whether respondents believe they can achieve it, and why. When we ask whether respondents believe in the American Dream, one of the answers we always provide is that the respondent believes the American dream is achieved through spiritual fulfillment rather than material success.  In recent polls, we’ve had between 30 and 40% of respondents select this answer.   We call those who select this answer “secular spiritualists”.  Another group, called “materialists”, answer that the American Dream consists of material success. This answer is also usually chosen by  between 30 and 40% of respondents. Here is an excerpt from The Way We’ll Be describing some characteristics of secular spiritualists and comparing them to materialists:

“Secular spiritualists are likely to be aged forty-one or younger. They are less likely to be male.. and more likely to be female parents with a job at home and make fifty thousand dollars a year or less. Secular spiritualists attend church far more regularly than materialists and are far more likely to be born-again. And yet they are also more likely than materialists to identify themselves as liberal and to have voted for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. .. Their personal relationship to God or any particular faith or creed.. might be a key issue in their own lives, but it’s not a salient issue in defining their relationship one to the other. Rather, what pulls them together and gives them definition is the need to move beyond professional and financial ambition, the acquisition of things, and the quest for a luxurious lifestyle.”

How do you personally define the American Dream? Do you feel that you are more of a secular spiritual or more of a materialist?

Katy John Zogby, culture, future, lifestyles American dream, faith, lifestyle, polls, zogby

As the United States struggles to deal with the immediate concerns of a sagging stock market, rising foreclosures and increasing unemployment, Dr. Richard Florida takes a look at how the financial crash may reshape Americas as we know it:

“The housing bubble was the ultimate expression, and perhaps the last gasp, of an economic system some 80 years in the making, and now well past its “sell-by” date. The bubble encouraged massive, unsustainable growth in places where land was cheap and the real-estate economy dominant. It encouraged low-density sprawl, which is ill-fitted to a creative, postindustrial economy. And not least, it created a workforce too often stuck in place, anchored by houses that cannot be profitably sold, at a time when flexibility and mobility are of great importance.

So how do we move past the bubble, the crash, and an aging, obsolescent model of economic life? What’s the right spatial fix for the economy today, and how do we achieve it?

The solution begins with the removal of homeownership from its long-privileged place at the center of the U.S. economy. Substantial incentives for homeownership (from tax breaks to artificially low mortgage-interest rates) distort demand, encouraging people to buy bigger houses than they otherwise would. That means less spending on medical technology, or software, or alternative energy – the sectors and products that could drive U.S. growth and exports in the coming years. Artificial demand for bigger houses also skews residential patterns, leading to excessive low-density suburban growth. The measures that prop up this demand should be eliminated.
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ZogbyFeaturedContributor Uncategorized American dream, economics, economy, employment, future, media, race, technology, war, work

Following the publication of The Way We’ll Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream last summer, I’ve been traveling nonstop around the country, seeing and hearing enthusiasm all across the U.S. about the themes in the book – living with less as consumers and citizens, embracing diversity of views and ways of life, looking inward to find spiritual comfort and demanding authenticity from the media, our leaders, and leading institutions.

I’m very excited about this blog because just like the work we already do here at Zogby International, it’s going to welcome ideas and follow trends that are always ahead of the curve. We will continue to uncover and welcome what others don’t see. In this world of market research, we’re now into our 25^th year and we’ve become both pioneers and mavericks — and we love that role. We also pride ourselves on being fearless and provocative.

As we embark on this latest endeavor, we will embrace the provocative and as always we will share data and opinions with you. We welcome your input – whether you want to comment on our latest posts, suggest topics for future surveys or even submit a blog post of your own. The blog will also feature excerpts from some of the best opinion leaders in the country about politics, what people are buying, how we live our lives and peering in on how our neighbors live their lives. Join us as together we discover The Way We’ll Be. – John Zogby

Grace Uncategorized American dream, future, international, John Zogby, media, politics, race, summer, The Way We'll Be, travel, war, work, zogby