American-Family-Life2

AmericanFamilyLifeProverbsandsayingsAsthetwigisbent,sogrowsthetree.Thechildisachipofftheoldblock.Amanmayworkfromsuntosun,butawoman’sworkisneverdone.Behindeverysuccessfulman,there’sawoman.Bloodisthickerthanwater.Anoldmanistreasureofafamily.ContentsThedefinitionoffamilyIntroductionFamilymembersDivorceandcohabitationSocialIssuesintheUSWhatisfamily?AccordingtotheU.S.government,afamilyisthosepeoplewholivewithotherstowhomtheyarerelatedbyblood,marriage,oradoption.FamilyTypesThenuclearfamily基本家庭(只包括父母和子女的家庭)consistofahusband,wifeandtheirchildren,livinginahouseorapartment.TheextendedfamilyConsistoftheimmediatefamily,andotherrelativesconnectedbybloodormarriage.One-parent/single-parentfamilyBlendedfamilyHomosexual/gay/lesbianfamilyDinkfamilyIntroduction101millionUShouseholds(同住在一所房子里的人)–70millionarefamilies.AverysmallpercentageofAmericanhouseholdsconsistofaworkingfather,astay-at-homemother,andchildrenunder18.About15%ofAmericanhouseholdsconsistoftwoworkingparentsandtheirchildren.ThemajorityofAmericanhouseholdsconsistofmarriedcoupleswithoutchildren,singleparentsandtheirchildren,orunrelatedpeoplelivingtogether.25%ofAmericanslivealone.Averagefamilysize–3.2peopleAboutthree-fourthsofAmericanfamiliesliveinareasclassifiedasurban,lessthan5percentofAmericansliveonfarms,butsmalltownlivingisstillwidespread.AgreaternumberofAmericansliveinsuburbs(about37percentofthepopulation)thanincities(about31percent).WheredoAmericanslive?Althoughthemajorityoffamiliesliveinhouses,manyliveinapartmentbuildings.Theserangeinsizefromwalk-upscontainingfromtwotosixapartmentstohigh-riseelevatorbuildingsthatmayhavemorethan100apartments.Apartmentsareusuallyrented,butinrecentyearsincreasingnumbersofapartmentbuildingshavebecomecooperatives,meaningthateachresidentownshisownapartment.apartmentbuildingMorethan7millionAmericansliveinmobilehomes(oncecalledhousetrailers).Mobilehomesarelivingquartersbuiltwithwheels.Theycanbemoved,butgenerallytheyarebroughttoasitethatisintendedtobemoreorlesspermanent.Thenthewheelsareremoved,andthehomeisfastenedtotheground.Becausetheycostmuchlessthanconventionalhomes,mobilehomesareespeciallypopularamongyoungcouplesandelderlyretiredcouples.移动房屋是一种可以拖在汽车后面行走的居室，它具有外观像拖车、内部是居室的功能。这种房屋在西方国家常见。mobilehomesFamilyMembersTheroleofmanandwomaninafamilyThecultureimposessetrolesuponparents.Man:“breadwinner”—responsibleforfinancialsupportofthehomeandfamilymembers.Woman:housewife—responsibleforemotionalsupport,childraising,andhousekeeping.Changes:workingmothers,househusbands1787Theconstitutionoftheunitedstatesin1787waspassed.HOWEVER,thisconstitutiondidn’tadmitthatwomenhadequalrightsaswhitemen.1920Alawbegaintowork,whichallowedwomentovote.1972Alawwaspassed,whichadimitedthatwomenhadequalrightsasmen.DohouseworkTakecareofbabiesBelongtohusbandHomemakerWorkEarnmoneybreadwinnerOwnhiswifeHusbandwifeFamilyThedevelopmentoffamilyrolesTheviewof‘menouter，womeninner’haschanged.Becausemoreandmorewomendon’tmakealivingbymarriage.Accordingtostatistic,inonefifthofcouples,thewiveshaveahighersalarythantheirhusbands.“Naturallyit’swomen’sresponsibilitytotakecareofherchildren.”Think69%ofAmericanwomen;butAmericanmendon’tagreeonthat.13%ofmenthinktheyshouldtakethemajorresponsibility,and40%ofmenthinktheresponsibilityaresupposedtobeburdenedbybothhusbandandwife.ViewsTheconditionsinrecentyearsHusbandWifeFamilyToday,morethan54%ofAmericanwomenworkThechildrenAmericanchildrenhavebeenexpectedto“leavethenest”ataboutage18,aftertheygraduatefromhighschool.Bytheirmid-twenties,ifchildrenarestilllivingwiththeirparents,peoplewouldsuspectthatsomethingiswrong.Today,anumberofyoungpeopleareunabletofindjobs,andchoosetomovebackinwiththeirparents.Theseyoungpeoplearesometimescalled“boomerang[’bu:mə,ræŋ]kids”(归巢族).IndependenceandIndividualismChildrenshould“cutthe(umbilical)[,ʌmbi’laikəl](脐带的)cord”andareencouragednottobe“tiedtotheirmother’sapronstrings”.Intheprocessoftheirsocializationchildrenlearnto“lookoutfornumberone”andto“standontheirowntwofeet”.Children:theirowndecision-makerManychildrenaretaughtataveryearlyagetomakedecisionsandberesponsiblefortheiractions.Oftenchildrenworkformoneyoutsidethehomeasafirststeptoestablishingautonomy[ɔ:’tɔnəmi](自主).Whatcanchildrendo?Nine-orten-year-oldchildrenmaydelivernewspapersintheirneighborhoodsandsaveorspendtheirearnings.Teenagersmaybabysitatneighbors’homesinordertoearnafewdollarsaweek.Money:Responsibility?Receivingaweeklyallowanceatanearlyageteacheschildrentobudgettheirmoney,preparingthemforfuturefinancialindependence.Manyparentsbelievethatmanagingmoneyhelpschildrenlearnresponsibilityaswellasappreciatethevalueofmoney.Whendothey“leavethenest”?Uponreachinganappropriateage(usuallybetween18and21years),childrenareencouraged,butnotforced,to“leavethenest”(likeayoungbird)andbeginanindependentlife.Afterchildrenleavehometheyoftenfindsocialrelationshipsandfinancialsupportoutsidethefamily.Love,Self-relianceandIndependenceAparentmaytrytoinfluenceachildtofollowaparticularprofessionbutthechildisfreetochooseanothercareer.Sometimes