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AmericanWayofLife:ASearchforCredibleGeneralizations周佳瑶1561120TheAmericanwayoflifeorsimplytheAmericanwayistheuniquelifestyleofthepeopleoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Itreferstoanationalistethosthatadherestotheprincipleoflife,libertyandthepursuitofhappiness.AtthecenteroftheAmericanwayistheAmericanDreamthatupwardmobilityisachievablebyanyAmericanthroughhardwork.ThisconceptisintertwinedwiththeconceptofAmericanexceptionalism,thebeliefintheuniquecultureofthenation.ContantsStereotypesNationalSelf-Image010203LibertyandEqualityOne-LineStereotypesAbouttheUSAStereotype1AllAmericansarerichLikemostcountriesIntheworld,theUSAhasawiderangeofpeoplefromveryrichtoverypoor.Overthelast40yearsthepercentageofficiallyclassifiedaslivinginpovertyhasfluctuatedbetween11%and15%ofthepopulation.Stereotype2下面这个地图显示了美国各州每10万个居民因为枪击而死亡的人数CrimeratesintheUSA,despitesharpdeclinesinrecentyears,remainnotablyhigherthaninChina(orinEurope).About1%ofthepopulationisinprison，thehighestratiointheworld,partlybecausethejusticesystemworkshardtopursuecriminals.Alsocrimesareassociatedwithguns,whicharemorefreelyownedandusedintheUSAthanelsewhere.About25%ofAmericansownagun,thoughonemightthinkthenumberishigherbecausetheNRA,aprivateorganization,makesagreatpublicdisplayofopposinganylawsthatmightrestrictgunownership.AmericansocietyisviolentBeforeWWⅡInthelast25yearsorsoSincethelate1970sTheseare“tough-lovefamiliesthatemphasizestrongdisciplineofchildrentopreparethemforlifeinahighlycompetitiveworldThenewer,moreegalitarian,kindoffamilyhasbeendescribedasa“nurturing-parent”family,inwhichparentsregardthemselvesmoreas“partners”andencouragetheirchildrentobecomeindependentbyintroductiontheirowndecisions.Theeffectoftheseshiftingmarriagepatternsistodiminishtheauthorityofparentsinrelationtotheirchildren.Manyyoungpeoplelistentotheirpeersmorethantotheirparents.85%15%BelieveinGodTheotherTheother15%ismostlydividedbetweenthosewhosaytheyareatheists,whodenytheexistenceofGod,oragnostics,whosaytheyarenotsureaboutwhetherGodexistsornot.Stereotype4AmericansareallreligiousDespiteformalseparationofchurchandstate,basedontheFirstAmendmenttotheUSConstitution,religionenters,explicitlyorimplicitly,intomostargumentsinAmericanpubliclifetoday.Stereotype5AnupbeatexpectationofabrighterfuturehasbeenpartoftheAmericanheritagefromthecolonialbeginningsthatdatebacktothe17thcentury.ThenewAmericanssawtheirnewworldaschallengingthemtosustainawayoflifethatwouldbeexemplary.MoralsuperioritycomparedtoOldEuropewastobeaccompaniedbyandconfirmedbyprosperity.Suchabeliefremainsasanongoingpartofanationalideology.This“Americandream”stillinspiresimmigrantsbythemillionstowanttocometotheUSAtoshareinitsnationaldestiny.Thisnativeoptimismhasbeenshakenbyworldeventsinrecentdecades,butitremainsstrong.TheUSAasa“MeltingPot”SecretsofObamaFamilyUnlocked奥巴马的家庭是个“小型联合国”ImmigrantshavefloodedintowhatisnowtheUSA.Thepopulationcontinuestobecomemoreandmorediverse,withAsiaandLatinAmericancontributingmillionsoaddtotheEuropeanandAfricandiasporasofearlieryears.Staringintheearly17thcenturyWhatdoesitreallymeantodescribetheUSAasanationofimmigrants?Itreferstoaprocessbywhichearlyimmigrantgroupsprivilegedtheirownkindwhilelookingdownonlaterarrivals.ThedominantclasscameeitherfromEnglandoradoptedthevaluesandprejudicesoftheEnglish.Theywereanglophilic（亲英的）;thatis,theysawthemselvesasfollowingEnglishupper-classmannersandtastes.Inthe20thcenturyInthe18thand19thcenturies,themetaphorofacrucibleorsmeltingpotwasusedtodescribethefusionofdifferentnationalities,ethnicitiesandcultures.ItwasusedtogetherwithconceptsoftheUnitedStatesasanidealrepublicandacityuponahillornewpromisedland.Itwasametaphorfortheidealizedprocessofimmigrationandcolonizationbywhichdifferentnationalities,culturesandraces(atermthatcouldencompassnationality,ethnicityandraceproper)weretoblendintoanew,virtuouscommunity,anditwasconnectedtoutopianvisionsoftheemergenceofanAmericannewman.Whilemeltingwasincommonusetheexacttermmeltingpotcameintogeneralusagein1908,afterthepremiereoftheplayTheMeltingPotbyIsraelZangwill.TheMeltingPotisaplaybyIsraelZangwill,firststagedin1908.ItdepictsthelifeofaRussian-Jewishimmigrantfamily,theQuixanos.DavidQuixanohassurvivedapogrom,whichkilledhismotherandsister,andhewishestoforgetthishorribleevent.HecomposesanAmericanSymphonyandwantstolookforwardtoasocietyfreeofethnicdivisionsandhatred,ratherthanbackwardathistraumaticpast.TheMeltingPotopenedinWashington,DC,onOctober5,1908.PresidentTheodoreRoosevelt,inattendancethatnight,issaidtohaveshoutedThat'sagreatplay,Mr.Zangwill.ItopenedattheComedyTheatreinNewYorkonSeptember6,1909,andranfor136performances.Althoughtheideaofmeltingasametaphorforethnicassimilationhadbeenusedbefore,Zangwill'splaypopularizedthetermmeltingpotasasymbolforthisoccurrenceinAmericansociety.ItmeantwhitebecauseAfricanAmericans,thoughtheybeganarrivingearlyinthe17thcentury,weresystematicallyoppressed.TheselettersstandforAnglo-Saxon(thatis,comingfromGreatBritain)becausealltheimmigrantscomingfromSouthernandEasternEuropewereconsideredinferiorbydefinition.EvenamongthosefromWesternEur