American-family

Title:TheAmericanFamilyThesisStatement:WhattheAmericanFamilylikeinChinese’seyes.WhattheAmericansfamilyrelationshiplike,theirmarriageanddevice.Outline:1.Introduction:WhattheAmericanFamilylikeinChinese’seyes.2.MainPart:2.1.Americanfamilystructure.2.1.1.ThetypicalAmericanfamily2.1.2.Thechangeoffamilystructuresince1950s.2.2.Emphasisonindividualfreedom.2.2.1.ThefamilyinAmericans’eyes.2.2.2.TheindividualinAmericanfamily.2.3.Marriageanddivorce.2.3.1.Americans’attitudetowardsmarriage.2.3.2.Americans’attitudetowardsdivorce.2.4.Theroleofchild.2.4.1.Therelationshipbetweenchildrenandparents2.4.2.Thewayparentraisestheirchildren.2.5.EqualityintheFamily.2.5.1.Theequalitybetweenfamilymembers.2.6.Fourstagesofmarriagerelationship.2.6.1.Whatarethefourstages?2.7.FamilyValue.3.Conclusion:InourChinese’eyes,AmericanfamilyandChinesefamilyaredeeplydifference,buttheyalsohaveonethingincommon,bothofthemareharborforhearts.TheAmericanFamilyWhenwetalkaboutAmericans,thefirstwordcomeintoourmindisfamily.Americanstakefamilyastheirmostimportantpartintheirlives.SowhatisthetypicalAmericanfamily?Whatisthefamilyrelationship,andhowhavethetraditionalAmericanvaluesaffectedit?WhatisthetypicalAmericanfamilylike?IfAmericansareaskedtonamethemembersoftheirfamilies,familystructurebecomesclear.MarriedAmericanswillnametheirhusbandorwifeandtheirchildrenastheirimmediatefamily.Theylooktheirfather,mother,sisters,brothers,aunts,uncles,cousins,andgrandparentsastheirextendedfamily.IntraditionalAmericanfamily,thefamilymembersareunclear,consistingofahusband,wife,andtheirchildren.Theyareusuallylivinginahouseorapartment.Grandparentsrarelyliveinthesamehousewiththeirmarriedsonsordaughters,butauntsandunclesneverdo.Americansviewthefamilyasagroup.Inthisgroup,theirprimarypurposeistoadvancethehappinessofindividualmembers.ConsideringthatAmericaisnotanaristocraticsociety,familynameandhonorarelessimportantthaninthearistocraticsociety,sinceequalityofopportunityregardlessofbirthisconsideredabasicAmericanvalue.Moreover,thereislessemphasisonfamilyasaneconomicunitbecausethefamilyisrarelyself-supporting.UsuallyfewAmericanfamiliesmaintainself-supportingfamilyfarmsorbusinessformorethanonegeneration.Americansdonotlikeotherfamilymemberstocontrolthem.Theywanttomakeindependentdecisionsandnottobetoldwhattodobygrandparentsorunclesoraunts.Tothem,whatwouldbebestforthefamilyisnotconsideredtobeasimportantaswhatwouldbebestfortheindividual.MarriagesarenotarrangedintheAmerica.Youngpeopleareexpectedtofindtheirhusbandorwifebytheirown;theirparentsdonotusuallyhelpthem.Inotherwords,theywillnevertellthoseparentstheirmarriageplanuntiltheydecidedtomarry.Parentshavelittlecontrolovertheirmarry.Americansbelievethatyoungpeopleshouldfallinloveanddecidetomarrysomeonetheycanlivewithhappily.InAmericansvalue,marriageisdeterminedlargelybyhowhappythehusbandandwifemakeeachother.Soifthecoupleisnothappy,theymaychoosetogetadivorce.ThedivorcerateroserapidlyinAmericaafterthe1950s,butithasdecreasedbythe1990s.Today,oneoutofeverytwomarriagesnowendsindivorce,childrenareofteninvolved.ThemajorityofAmericanadultbelievethatunhappycouplesshouldnotstaymarriedjustbecausetheyhavechildrenathome.Itissignificantchangeinattitudesincethe1950s.Americansaffecttheirchildreninacontradictoryway.Thatismostlybecausetheyareemphasisontheindividual,ratherthanthegroup.Itmaycausethemtogetmoreattentionandevenhavemorepowerthantheyshould.What’smore,becausemostchildrenhavemotherswhoareworkingoutsidethehome,theymaynotgetenoughattentionfromtheirparents.Ingeneral,Americanfamiliestendtoplacemoreemphasisontheneedsanddesiresofthechildrenandlessontheirsocialandfamilyresponsibilities.MostAmericanparentschoosetolearnhowtoplantchildrenfrombooksthatmademanybooksonhowtoraisechildrenbecamethebestsellers.AlthoughAmericansmaynotagreeonhowtoraisechildren,theystillholdthebasicbeliefthatthemajorpurposeofthefamilyisthedevelopmentandwelfareofeachofitsmembersasindividuals.Thebeliefinequalityhashadastrongeffectonthefamily.AsAlexisdeTocquevillesaidin1830s,inaristocraticsocietiesinequalityextendsintothefamily,particularlytothefather’relationshiptohischildren.Thefatherisacceptedasrulerandmaster.Thechildren’srelationswithhimareveryformal,andloveforhimisalwayscombinedwithfear.ButinAmerica,thereislessformalrespectfor,andfearofthefather.Butthereismoreaffectionexpressedtowardhim.Infact,someAmericansareworriedthatthereistoomuchdemocracyinthehome.Someparentsseemtohavelittleoroncontroloverthebehavioroftheirteenagechildren,particularlyaftertheyturn16andgettheirdrivers’licenses.Ontheotherhand,theygivetheirchildrenalotoffreedombecausetheywanttoteachtheirchildrenindependenceandself-reliant.Childrenaregivenalotoffreedomandequalityinthefamilysothattheycangrowupindependently.AccordingtoLethaandJohnCanzone,twoAmericansociologists,theinstitutionofmarriageintheAmericahasexperiencefourstagesofdevelopment:Stage1:Wifeasservanttohusband.Ithappenedduringthe19thcentury.Americanwiveswereexpectedtobecompletelyobedienttotheirhusbands.Stage2:Husband-hand,wife-helper.Itwasduringthelate19thandearly20thcentury