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The American Family We’ll learn the American families from the following five aspects; 1. Family structures 1) Immediate family
The American Family We’ll learn the American families from the following five aspects; 1. Family structures 1) Immediate family
admin
2013-06-12
38
问题
The American Family
We’ll learn the American families from the following five aspects;
1. Family structures
1) Immediate family, consisting of parents and children 2) (1) ______family—consisting of parents, children , uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc.
2. The emphasis on individual freedom
The primary purpose of a family is to (2) , the
happiness of individual members. Family name and honor are (3)______important.
3. The role of the child
Emphasis on the individual may affect children in two ways:
—Children may get more attention and more power; —Children may not get enough attention due to the fact that both parents are (4)______.
4. (5)______in the family
5. Family values
1) clearly traditional values
—respecting one’s (6)______
—being (7)______for one’s actions
—having faith in God —respecting authority
—married to (8)______for life
—leaving the world in better shape
2) newer values
—giving (9)______ to other members of the
family —respecting people for themselves —developing greater skill in communicating
one’s feelings —respecting one’s children —living up to one’s (10)______as an individual
The American Family
In today’s lecture, I’ll talk about the American family from the following five aspects; family structures, the emphasis on individual freedom, the role of the child, equality in the family, and family values.
First, family structures. What are the typical American families like? If Americans are asked to name the members of their families, family structure becomes clear. Married American adults will name their husband or wife and their children, if they have any, as their "immediate family". If they mention their father, mother, sisters, or brothers, they will define them as separate units, usually living in separate households. (1) Aunts, uncles. cousins, and grandparents are considered " extended family. " Traditionally, the American family has been a nuclear family, consisting of a husband, wife and their children, and living in a house or apartment. Grandparents rarely live in the same home with their married sons or daughters, and uncles and aunts almost never do.
Second, the emphasis on individual freedom. (2) Americans view the family as a group whose primary purpose is to advance the happiness of individual members. The result is that the needs of each individual take priority in the life of the family. In contrast to that of many other cultures, the primary responsibility of the American family member is not to advance the family as a group, either socially or economically, nor is it to bring honor to the family name. This is partly because the United States is not an aristocratic society. (3) Family name and honor are less important than in aristocratic societies, since equality of opportunity regardless of birth is considered a basic American value. Moreover, there is less emphasis on the family as an economic unit because the American family is rarely self-supporting. Relatively few families maintain self-supporting family farms or businesses for more than one generation. A farmer’s son, for example, is very likely to go to a college, leave the family farm, and take an entirely different job in a different location. The American desire for freedom from outside control clearly extends to the family. Americans do not like to have controls placed on them by other family members. They want to make independent decisions and not be told what to do by grandparents or uncles or aunts. For example, both American men and women expect to decide what job is best for them as individuals. Indeed, young Americans are encouraged by their families to make such independent career decisions. What would be best for the family is not considered to be as important as what would be best for the individual.
Third, the role of the child. The American emphasis on the individual, rather than the group, affects children in a contradictory way. On the one hand, it may cause them to get more attention and even have more power than they should. On the other hand, (4) because most children have mothers who are working outside the home, they may not get enough attention from either parent. Worse yet, parents who feel guilty for not having enough time with their children may give them more material things to compensate for the lack of attention. Studies show that both parents are now spending less time with their children, due to work habits and a busy lifestyle. In general, American families tend to place more emphasis on the needs and desires of the child and less on the child’s social and family responsibilities. In the years after World War II , so much stress has been placed on the psychological needs of children that the number of experts in this field has increased enormously. Some Americans believe that the emphasis on the psychological needs of the individual child have been carried too far by parents and experts alike. Although Americans may not agree on how best to nurture and discipline their children, they still hold the basic belief that the major purpose of the family is the development and welfare of each of its members as individuals.
The next point I’d like to talk about is equality in the family. Along with the American emphasis on individual freedom, the belief in equality has had a strong effect on the family. There is much more social equality between parents and children than in most aristocratic societies or societies ruled by centuries of tradition. This can be witnessed in arguments between parents and their children, and in the considerable independence granted to teenagers. Children are given a lot of freedom and equality in the family so that they will grow up to be independent, self-reliant adults.
Last, the family values. Daniel Yankelovich, based on a survey, reports that there are 11 points that a majority of Americans agree on "family values". He classifies six of them as " clearly traditional". (6) They are respecting one’s parents, (7) being responsible for one’s actions, having faith in God, respecting authority, (8) married to the same person for life, and leaving the world in better shape. The other five are"a blend of traditional and newer, more expressive values". (9) They are giving emotional support to other members of the family, respecting people for themselves, developing greater skill in communicating one’s feelings, respecting one’s children, and (10) living up to one’s potential as an individual. The ideal of the American family is group cooperation to help achieve the fulfillment of each individual member, and shared affection to renew each member’s emotional strength. Families can be viewed as similar to churches in this regard. Both are seen by Americans as places where the human spirit can find refuge from the highly competitive world outside and renewed resources to continue the effort.
By this, we are now coming to the end of today’s lecture. Thank you for your attention.
选项
答案
less
解析
演讲者指出美国家庭成员的主要责任并不是光耀门楣,部分原因是美国并不是一个贵族社会,根据句(3)可知,美国人的基本价值观是不论出身,人人机会平等,所以与那些出身在贵族社会的人相比,家族名声和荣誉对美国人来说并没有那么重要,故答案为less。
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