Good example of book review on the cheating culture: why more americans are doing wrong to get ahead

The Book The cheating culture: David Callahan writes why more Americans are doing wrong to get Ahead. David Callahan has interviewed many people around the country. He had studied many different patterns of cheating as in corporate boardrooms, school testing, over billing lawyers, school testing, learning deficiencies, and applications (Hopkins 25). In this book “ The cheating culture”, David Callahan has given instances of cheating in America. He has given numerous instances in his book on cheating in America. There is strong evidence that shows the people in America are getting dishonest. This will exaggerate in the future if not treated properly. His message was simple and not so much stronger. In his book, the recommendations and suggestions for change he has given were more impractical. However, it is commendable and appreciable that he has focused on such consequences and issues for public consideration. (Hopkins 12). Therefore, to some extent I believe his stories. According to Callahan has suggested the insight that “ Americans have highlighted two moral compasses”. The first one is the one that directs our behavior like drugs, sex, traditional form of crime and family. Second one id the ethical guidance that shapes our money, career, and success. Callahan has described in details about the second compass regarding how the second one has developed and where it has taken us. He has made the case more appealing by describing that how we are searching our integrity than our economic security (Hopkins 17). Callahan has mentioned in his book that most Americans cheat because each person has a perception that “ everyone does it”. It has become a common culture in America. This is true. He has focused on the same issues that increase the cheating issues in America. First, one is due to fall of trust in America. Second, one is divisive effects of inequality. Moreover, Callahan has brought the research finding from discipline like- political science, sociology, and economics to explain the culture of cheating. (Callahan 63). In other words, he has criticized the culture after extensive research on various sources like- government reports and statistics, interviews, public opinion polls, investigations from the scene. (Callahan 64).
Truly, we do not have strong ethical values. We cannot keep it. The situation forces us to follow the practices of cheating. During a recession, the economy of a country goes down. In such situation, it is very difficult to maintain the standard of living. Due to a sudden downturn in the economy that results in loss of money allow people to cheat and practice other unfair practices like- bribery, crime, robbery, plagiarism, etc. Callahan in his book has put more emphasized on the ethical values amongst the American. According to him, we prefer to sacrifice our integrity rather than our economic security. Americans are less trusting of each other. Researchers have found out that 58 percent of Americans believe that most of the people are trustworthy in 1960 (Callahan 91). The percentage has reduced to 40 from 60 in the year 1998 and has agreed with the statement. General Social Survey (GSS) in the 1970s has asked questions to many people. The majority of the people have said that they do not fear of being cheated. In 1980s, the fear of cheated has started to increase. However, in 1990s, most American thought that many people would cheat them. One of the major fuels of cheating is distrust. Recently, some scholars have found the relationship between distrust and inequality. (Hopkins 15). Inequality in our society is one of the causes that have changed the American values in times that are more recent. Due to inequality, rich people have become richer and poorer has become poor. The poor have very little security and could not afford many things which rich people could. Thus, these people do not have faith in the values thus forcing them to cheat and do crime. In the past few decades, cheating has become a culture in America. As the time flies, cheating has increased. Compared to cheating the punishment have decreased. The chance of being caught has decreased, which then increases crime. Cheating has become a desirable. As many Americans can see, that cheating has become so easy and they are not punished. Therefore, they have started cheating since they know they will get benefit only. (Hopkins 33). According to many Americans, money, success, and career seem to be more important. Many Americans have claimed that they cannot make proper money as a result very hard to maintain the family. Unable to make money results in adopting cheating and other unfair means. Half of the Americans are worried about the financial condition and how they will be able to maintain a family (Hopkins 22).
Cheating is always seen as an offensive practice by many people. However, due to victims of the circumstances, many Americans need to adopt such practices. In the short run, they may succeed and that is why they are motivated, but they will not be able to continue in the end.
People have the tendency to cheat if they get chances. If there is no penalty for practicing cheating, then people will continue to cheat as they find this more beneficial for them. Practicing such things for many years will be fixed and will be a part of a culture. In American, the cheating has become a major issue and has increased drastically over the past 60 years. Callahan has focused some compelling issues about why Americans are doing wrong to get ahead. My behavior does not reflect like the one Callahan has mentioned in his book. This is because I strongly discourage the cheating concept. Cheating goes beyond my norms. When I was in school and were asked to do assignments from my teacher, I never tried to cheat or copy sentences from the internet or other sources (Callahan 99). At first, I used to take the concept in my mind and then I used to write it on my own. My opinion has not changed. This is because cheating is not a new scenario that is prevailing amongst the most Americans. In fact, cheating, crime is prevalent throughout the world. For instance, I emailed an exact copy of my assignment in an ISDS class to another student who did not know how to do the project. This should not be done because perhaps the students who do not know how to do the project may copy my assignment without understanding. This is a practice of plagiarism and cheats and is offensive. Therefore, such cheating practices have to be eliminated not only in America but also worldwide. Strict guidance and rules have to be maintained for cheating. If someone does not follow the rules properly, then the person will be penalized. Therefore, as a suggestion such practices of heating has to be reduced from the society. If it is reduced, then we can bring has new positive changes in cheating culture.

References

David Callahan, The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans are Doing Wrong to Get Ahead (New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2004), pp. 63-64, 81-83, 91-97.
Hopkins, Steve. The Cheating Culture: Why More Americans Are Doing Wrong To Get Ahead. 1st ed. Executive Times, 2004. Print.