中美家庭观念的文化差异比较 英文论文

On the Cultural Differences in the Family Concepts between Chinaand AmericaⅠ.The Root Causes of Sino-US Cultural DifferencesII. The Definition of Family between Chinese and American2.1 The Definition of Family in China2.2 The Definition of Family in America2.3 The Contrast resultⅢ. The Comparison of Family Concept between China and America3.1 The Comparison of Family System3.1.1 The Comparison of Family Size3.1.2 The Comparison of the Relationship of Family Member3.1.3 The Comparison of Family Function3.2 The Comparison of Children’s Education3.2.1 The Comparison of the Concept of Children’s Education3.2.2 The Comparison of the Methods of Children’s Education3.3 The Comparison of Old Folks' Support3.3.1 The Comparison of the Concept of Old Folks' Support3.3.2 The Comparison of the Methods of Old Folks' SupportⅣ. ConclusionOn the Cultural Differences in the Family Concepts between China and AmericaThis is China, an ancient nation with 5000 years of history, glorious past and advanced civilization. That is the United States, a young, multi-culture country which soon became the leader of the world. Compared with these two countries, there are many different aspects between them. Language is the first distinction, along with different skin color, hair color, and facial features. According to the bible, God creates the world, and he has wills for every creature below him. Humans are too far away from him to clearly see his will. But history and tradition of a society can tell what God’s wills are. From the past it tells that human gather around to form society. In a society, humans experience different version of God’s wills, and then write downGod’s wills as history. Without a society, human cannot move on; human cannot protect each other; human can not survive. Family is one of the fundamental elements that ma ke up a society, and without individuals, there’s no such thing called home. So here’s the answer, besides the biological differences between the Asians and Westerner, what makes Chinese and American culture unique and stand out are their own tradition, history, and family.Ⅰ.The Root Causes of Sino-US Cultural DifferencesIn general, the cultural difference is at first comes from to the natural world understanding difference, the physical geography condition has decided the various national various areas culture development initial direction. Three plateau sea's relatively unenlightened region characteristic, caused ancient times the Chinese culture basically to isolate at the same time with outside, but this has also provided the advantageous condition for the agricultural civilization's growth, and has formed take this as the foundation and the small peasant economy as the characteristic economic form. At the same time, the river continental environment and creates the self-sufficient natural economy causes the Chinese to approve that sentiment of the natural, fetters firmly the people on the land, but the agricultural society's stability, family member relatives and friends' long-term living together, who will enable the Chinese to be reluctant to part ways since old times looks heavily, this let the Chinese nation display happily to the thought emotion one unhappy many, with unhappy different, happy static is unhappy moves happily, steady is unhappy changes happily. But the Western culture's running water source is the ancient Greece culture, the ancient Greece civilization originates in Mediterranean Sea, its locates the marine environment has raised the Western nationality primitive risk flare national disposition. In their opinion, humanity's strength and the sea compare appear are very tiny and are frail, but the humanity depended upon bravely, resolute, the great struggle spirit which own had to conquer the sea, therefore humanity's breadth of spirit was greater than the sea, all these also molded the Western nationality to open, the brave disposition. Therefore, looked from the entire ancient times society and the cultural phenomenon that the Western is take individual as a beginning, develops outward, unceasingly self-pursue, self-development, simultaneously also self-innovation. But because China the enclosed type, satisfies-like the agricultural society, displays intensely to local thinking of fondly, to peaceful life yearning.II. The Definition of Family between Chinese and American2.1 The Definition of Family in ChinaIn China, The family not only means the opposite sex and the people to breed the community which the children compose, but also means the collection blood relationship inherits, the marital union, the production operation, the finance expends, the social enlightenment etiquette control and so on many functions are even a body's social smallest unit. Generally, the family member lives together, carries on the production and the expense together, moreover unifies according to the blood relationship, which is also called the human society the biological reproduction unit.The family is forms economical division of taking men and women's labor as the foundation. Outside including in the higher paraffin in the geographical groups, between the same-type geographical groups, take avoids the marriage and the close relative marriage as the principle, and maintains the close neighbor is relating, is one kind of institution social unit. Therefore, it is humanity's unique universal unit. Chinese's attachment to family, blood relationship, dear ones ethics, in brain ingrained, parents, children throughout whole family. Even if gets married and begins a career, in addition supposes the gateway, still shared everything with the parents, the support parents, attends on one's parents, regards as itself should the completely responsibility.Home is like a tree; Home is like a machine, it is made up of many different parts. In this machine, every part is as important as others. That is home, that is family. You can leave your home, you can hate your home, you can curse your home, but you can never forget about your home. Someday, you will think about your home when you feel lonely. In China, people tend to view home as their heart of love, home is the soul of a family.2.2 The Definition of Family in AmericaFamily, defined by the United States Bureau of the Census, is a group of two or more persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption. Accordingly, unmarried people (either heterosexual or homosexual) living together and foster families are excluded and this is disagreeable to many. In fact, in many cases, the definition of a family is more flexible. For example, courts have ruled that the definition of a family may include two adult partners whose interdependent relationship is long-term and characterized by an emotional and financial commitment, rather than view family members as partners exclusively related by blood, marriage, or adoption.In American people’s opinion, families are to provide love, w armth, and support to every member of it. The ideal of the family is group cooperation to help achieve the fulfillment of each individual member, and shared affection to renew each member’s emotional strength. In contrast to that of many other cultures, the primary responsibility of the American family member is not to advance the family as s group, either socially or economically, nor to bring honor to the family name. A family is considered a very important institution where the fundamental values and traditions of certain social group is taught and passed down from generation to generation.2.3 The Contrast resultAccording to an international survey, Asian children tend to live longer with their parents and contribute income to the household than the Am erican’s. Because of the unique tradition, Chinese children are more dependent on their family. The definition of home to them is a place once they will stay and depend on it for the rest of their life. In China, home is home. Once it becomes their home, no matter how busy they are, they will always come back and visit their home. American children are not like the Chinese. In westerner’s mind, home is just a place they used to grow up with, and they do not wish to always stay at their home. So as they grew older, they will leave their home, and find some other places to start their own “love net.”Chinese tend to contribute more incomes to its family than Americans. Because in China, family still plays a strong role, the family’s income depends on the pare nts when the children are still young, and the income will depends on the children when they grew up and their parents will retire. The unique Chinese tradition indicate when girls are married, they will live with their husbands’ family and contribute inco me to them. That’s why for almost five thousand years, the conception of boys are always more important than girls. Many families desire to have boys rather than girls. There’s an old saying, “a married daughter is like some spilled water, can never come back.” That’s why now in China, there are more boys and girls and a lot of boys with poor condition cannot marry a girl to have a family. Once the girl is married, she can sometimes visit her parents home, but most of the time, she will live with her husband, and her husband’s parents.Ⅲ. The Comparison of Family Concept between China and America3.1 The Comparison of Family System3.1.1 The Comparison of Family SizeIn China, because of the overpopulation during the mid-20th century, the government has to introduce and apply the “One Child Policy” to each new married couple beginning in 1979. Since the policy is introduced, each married couple can only have one child unless the child has disability or is deceased, then, the couple can have a second child. This policy is somewhat violate the human rights but after the implement of this policy, the population of China is under control. Anyway, because of the One Child Policy, each family can only have one kid. However, this doesn’t mean the size of a family in China is smaller than the U.S. When most of the couple got married, they will live with their parents and contribute income to the household. So generally, the family size in China is about 5, includes father, mother, one child, grand parents from father’s side. The family size will m ostly remain 5 unless the grandparents are deceased or if the grandchild gets married.There is not such policy in the U.S. to restrict how many kids each couple can have. Therefore the size of family in the U.S. can be varied by the couple’s own will. Generally, each couple will have 2 or more children. However, also because the U.S. is a multi-culture society, there are many different immigrants migrate to this nation, and they also brought many different traditions to this country. According to a national survey, non-Latino whites (also called the Anglo-Saxon core) tend to have fewer descendants for each family, and most of the children are better educated. However, Mexican-Americans, African Americans and Russian-Americans will have more children in each household compare to the whites and Asian Americans. Compare to the one-child-per-family in China, the family size in the U.S. is a lot different than China’s. Generally, non-Latino whites, Arab Americans and Asian Americans’ family size in the United Sta tes are about 5, including father, mother and 2 or 3 children. However, Mexican Americans, Russian Americans, Puerto Rican Americans, and African Americans can have a family size of up to 10. Interestingly, the family income of each subpopulation is inversely proportional to their family size.In the United States, non-Latino whites, Arab Americans and Asian Americans totally have a higher income than Mexican Americans and Russian Americans.In America, it is a lot different. A woman can marry a man and can still live with her parents. However, this situation is also not common seen because most of the married couple will move out and have their own places. They will start their own family. In America, the parents are responsible for their own wellness when they are old. It is not their children’s responsibility to take care of them. Therefore the family income of a house depends on the parents, even when the children grew up and have the ability to make money. If the parents are poor, the children will be poor when they still depend on their parents; if the children are rich, the parents can still be poor if the children are not kind to their parents. There’s no such tradition that grown-ups have to take care of their parents, and contribute income to them. Nevertheless, there law restrictions state that when children are still young, their parents have to take full responsibility for them until they turn eighteen.Though stereotypically man is considered head of a family, one has to remind oneself that the patterns of American families have now dramatically changed. Actually, now three out of every ten American households are headed by a woman. Now more American women are working outside the home. And house chores are shared between man and woman under the same roof. In general, women have the same educational and woman under the same roof. In general, women have the same educational and employment opportunities as men. They hold important positions in companies and other institutions. However, American women still strive to protect their rights and to achieve equal representation of men and women in high-level positions.3.1.2 The Comparison of the Relationship of Family MemberIn China, the family relationship is somewhat complicated than in U.S. Because when the girls get married, they will move to their husbands’ house, and because their husbands are living with their parents, therefore the girls also need to live with them. Once the girls gave birth, the family size will mostly remain 5—two grandparents, parents, and one child. In China, there are always conflicts between the girl and her mother-in-law. When the girl gets married, she moves out and lives with her parents-in-law. Before she got married, she doesn’t even know her mother-in-law, and her mother-in-law also doesn’t know her. When two stranger live together, conflicts arose. There are many movies and TV shows that describe the relationship between the mother and the daughter-in-law.In contrast to China, the family relationship in the U.S. is a lot simpler. Because the married couple doesn’t have to live with their parents, the conflicts between daughter and mother-in-law are very slight. In the U.S., when the son gets married, he will move out from his parents’ house and live with his wife in anothe r place. In generally, they will visit their own parents once in a while and many during big event such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, they will gather together to have a dinner. That’s the American style. Because the daughter and mother-in-law can barely see each other during the year, when they gather around, they tend to be nice to each other and try not to increase the conflicts. The system of family in the United States is notas complicated as the system of family in China. If we have to specify the conflicts of family in the U.S., it would be between husband and wife or parents and children.3.1.3 The Comparison of Family FunctionIn China, there are 5 family functions: economical, generational, educational, bring-up and support’s function. The moder n society tertiary industry's development and the socialization of production degree's enhancement, the family partial functions has the offset, like in the economical function's production function, the education function, supported the function already partially to shift the society, by society's special organization like Production organization, school and old folks home undertook, but the family sentiment careless could and so on actually day by day strengthen.In American, The family function of the household mainly seeks each kind of entertainment in the cultural life, but is not a religion and the educational institution. More importantly, although it is still a Dwelling unit, but no longer is entire family revolves the family type which together the father transfers. The construction family's foundation is the unity and family member's common interest, but non-individual wish and community responsibility. The American family member's primary obligation is not urges the family to become a society or the Economic organization, is also not brings the glory to the family.3.2 The Comparison of Children’s Education3.2.1 The Comparison of the Concept of Children’s EducationIn China, because of the ancient tradition, there’s an old saying about how children should treat their parents. It says, “Among all the good deeds, filial piety comes first.” It means, whatever the kids do, they have to be nice and respect to their own parents. However in the U.S., there’s not such tradition. Sometimes conflicts arose be tween teenager and their parents. The children don’t respect their parents when they were young. There are always problems about teenagers in the society of U.S.In China, because of the 5000 years of history and tradition, Chinese parents tend to teach their kids about social education and hence ignore the childhood education. The parents teach their kids how to respect the elderly, how to care the weak and the young, how to listen to the teachers, how to obey laws and orders from other people. Therefore, most of the parents demand unquestioning obedience from their kids. In a family, most of the fathers play the role of commander, and mother always play the role of counselor.In the United States, the family treats their children differently than the Chinese parents. They are more emphasizing on individuality than social education. If families are to work with schools as partners in the education of their children, schools must provide them with the opportunities and support they need to become involved. Too often schools expect families to do it all alone. Developing effective partnerships with families requires that all school staff (administrators, teachers, and support staff) create a school environment that welcomes parents and encourages them to raise questions and voice their concerns as well as to participate appropriately in decision making. Developing partnerships also requires that school staff provide parents withthe information and training they need to become involved and that they reach out to parents with invitations to participate in their children's learning.Schools are most successful in engaging parents and other family members in support of their children's learning look beyond traditional definitions of parent involvement--participating in a parent teacher organization or signing quarterly report cards--to a broader conception of parents as full partners in the education of their children. Rather than striving only to increase parent participation in school-based activities, successful schools seek to support families in their activities outside of school that can encourage their children's learning. Schools that have developed successful partnerships with parents view student achievement as a shared responsibility, and all stakeholders--including parents, administrators, teachers, and community leaders--play important roles in supporting children's learning. Successful school-family partnerships require the sustained mutual collaboration, support, and participation of school staffs and families at home and at school in activities that can directly affect the success of children's learning. If families are to work with schools as full partners in the education of their children, schools must provide them with the opportunities and support they need for success.3.2.2 The Comparison of the Methods of Children’s EducationThe Chinese aspect manifests approximately in the following several points: First, the Chinese guardians undertake to do somebody else's job in the life to child's basic necessities of life, does not let the child do the housework. This kind takes care of everything crosswise involves child's aspects, longitudinal extends to the child grows up. Therefore presented the elementary student also to want the guardian to send and pick up, the middle-school student also wanted the guardian to do laundry, the university newborn matriculation also wanted the guardian to escort. Second, many guardians feared that the child suffers a loss or fails to study, therefore limits the child and the outside contact, once between the child and the child either schoolmate have the dispute or not the happy matter, the most guardians adopt shield oneself child to accuse other child's means. Third, many guardians are obedient to child's request, grant every request, including the economical family in straitened circumstances, the guardian must tighten the belt to save the money to meet child's need, this has encouraged the custom which imperceptibly they waste luxuriously. Forth, the guardian is very high to child's study request, even achieves one kind of harsh degree. Through the ages, has the shopping online deep shackles China guardians' thought that whether been causing the guardians with to be admitted to a school child's academic record the institute of higher education has regarded as the only standard which the child becomes a useful adult.But the American guardians from exercise the child independent viability angle embarking, adopts to child's education drops, but the laissez faire method does not carry on. So-called drops, is lives down from the child, the parents try to give them the self-exercise the opportunity and the condition, lets them obtain the full exercise in each kind of environment. The parents except look after child's safety, in other life's matter, like plays, the study to let the child choose independently. If let them have since childhood deposits individual clothes, the toy and the study materials place,oneself tidy up reorganizes the room, the arrangement belongs to their little world, the parents takes care of everything in no way for the child, reminds the advice at most in the one side. So-called not laissez faire, generally reflection in three aspects: First, rather painstakingly and is not tender. The guardian pays great attention to train the child specially to endure hardship the spirit. Second, the family is rich, but is not extravagant. Many American family, have the strict request and the stipulation to child's spending money. The basic principle is: Issues regularly, amount how many decides according to child's age and household income's actual situation. Third, The westerner does not let matters drift to child's shortcoming mistake, does not shield, but tries to teach the child the knowledge wrong to change wrong. In addition, the American guardians do not bring too many pressures mostly to child's study. Their viewpoint is: The child to will be interested the knowledge to go to study diligently naturally, why can force the matter which they will do originally are not willing to do? Strong is stubborn is doing, instead will injure the child the sentiment and the individuality. Human's interest, the hobby and can originally various, the child suitable to make anything to make anything, the life path must let child go. The success home education, should be the guardian puts out the time to carry on the communication, the exchange with the child by the equal manner, gives the full affirmation to the child correct idea and the behavior, lets the child respect and encourage to hit grows.3.3 The Comparison of Old Folks' Support3.3.1 The Comparison of the Concept of Old Folks' SupportIt used to look to the elderly as really wise people who knew so much about the world. They were the ones who could be relied upon to provide a history lesson of what life used to be like in "their day". But things have changed so much in just a very short space of time. We are now more likely to hear of elder abuse within the family, residential home or a mugging that took place, involving an elderly victim. It is sad to see the elderly being abused and disregarded so much in a society that they once contributed so much to. This article will offer some suggestions on ways in which you should treat the elderly.The population of the elderly (60 or older) in China is about 128 million or one in every ten people, the largest in the world. It is estimated that China could have some 400 million people over 60 years of age by 2050. Nowadays a lot of people are more aware of the nations’ old and people pay greater respect and more attention to them than before. But experts on age point out that the elderly would enjoy greater happiness in old age if everyone was more concerned about them.China has just completed an investigation on the status of its elderly population. Investigating 20 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, the research has showed that the culture and material lives of the elderly, all over China, have greatly improved. Taking a look at their material lives, the average income of the elderly in the cities in 2000 was four times higher than the average income in 1992. In rural areas, the average income in 2000 had increased by 170 percent compared with 1992. Their living facilities included tap water, TV, fans and washing machines. However, gas supply, telephones, fridges and toilets in the house were only added in 2000. Thecultural quality of the elderly has also improved. Illiteracy has decreased by 20 percent and various recreational and sporting activities promoted by the government and non-governmental organizations have improved the quality of their lives. More and more of the elderly come to the recreation rooms for retired cadres in their local community now. Some have even been known to learn how to use a computer. According to the investigation, most of the senior citizens say that they are satisfied with their lives.Different from China’s tradition, the United States have another view for the elderly. The western culture tends to view the elderly as a burden and an inconvenience! The family unit in general is not as solid as Chinese culture. The strong streak of independence that runs through their thinking is definitely an influencing factor. They tend to encourage the break up of the family as part of the natural course of life, whereas the Chinese will tend to work to keep it together as long as possible. Where they will be more likely to bundle their elderly off to rest homes and retirement villages, we the Chinese would live with our elderly under the same roof, so metimes three or even four generations live together. In the Westerner’s mind, they think it's better to send off the elderly to retirement homes than to leave them at home all by themselves. In the retirement homes they remain healthier, happier and they live longer. At the touch of a buzzer, medical help is there in one minute. In the morning they have a bath, breakfast, their therapist is there to see them, later they congregate to look at TV with friends. Later on is lunch, perhaps a trip to the cinema and it goes on and on. They don’t think that a single person can provide all that professional care to their own parents, much less the elderly. In order to live a successful life in the American, People have to work.3.3.2 The Comparison of the Methods of Old Folks' SupportChinese's present retirement way mainly has: Raise children to provide against old age, occupation retirement, government relief, insurance retirement, invest retirement. The raise children to provide against old age, already becomes in the birth control time more and more not realistic. However, can train the riches and honor children, also is too not bitter as for the old age, certainly the premise is the children must be filial. The occupation retirement, is the ideal retirement way which since the ancient times the common people most yearned for. It is only suitable for the human who having the government food, since is very unfortunate, catches up with the State-owned business bankruptcy to come off sentry duty, can also attain the government relief fund. The insurance retirement, divides into two kinds, one kind is individual, the enterprise, the national fellowship society old-age insurance. Another kind is the commercial life insurance, is similar in the investment retirement, because it is one kind of financial managing finances product. The investment retirement, is a broad concept, its core is uses the existing fund to carry on the investment, gains the long-term stable income, the main investment tool has the financial product (for example stock, fund, bond, commercial life insurance), the real estate, business and so on.American's present retirement way mainly has 3 ways. First, is refers to the government to conduct “the society old-age insurance”, is also called the first pr op, it。