American Culture 美国文化

←American Culture ---- A General Survey

←Course Objectives

This course is a survey of American culture and society. The purpose of the course: To provide students with a general "feel" for the cultural characteristics of the USA.

To promote students’ awareness, tolerance and even acceptance of cultural diversity.

To help students develop skills to interact appropriately with Americans.

To teach students to critically analyze, evaluate and judge different cultural phenomena.

Contents

1. Introduction to the Course

2. Geography ＆History

3. Politics ＆Education

4. Traditions ＆Customs

5. Social Daily Life

6. Professions ＆Hobbies

7. Holidays ＆Festivals

8. Places of Interest

9. Celebrities / Famous People

←Readings

Many of our readings will be done on line or you may download them for your own use. In the meantime, the following course texts are recommended.

← 1.《美国社会与文化》，常俊跃，李莉莉，赵永青主编，北京大学出版社，2009年

← 2. 《走进美国文化》，（美）哈夫曼等著，应惠兰，邵永真注，外语教学与研究出版社，2009年

← 3. 《边品美国文化边学英文》，肖冉等编著，水利水电出版社, 2009年

← 4. 《美国文化背景》（第3版），（美）戴特斯曼等著，陈国华译，世界图书出版公司，2006年

←Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia:

/wiki/USA

←General Knowledge Quiz about the USA

1. How many states are there in the US?

a. 49

b. 50

c. 51

d. 48

2. What do Americans celebrate on July 4th?

a. Flag Day.

b. The Revolution.

c. The Discovery of America.

d. Independence Day.

3. What are the two major parties in the US?

a. The Republicans and the Democrats.

b. The Republics and the Socialists.

c. The Democrats and the Socialists.

d. The Conservationists and the Democrats.

4. Who said: “We hold these truths to be self- evident that all men are created equal”?

a. Bill Clinton

b. George Washington

c. Richard Nixon

d. Thomas Jefferson

5. Who is eligible for the Office of President?

a. Anyone whose children are American

b. Whoever served the army

c. A natural born citizen

d. An alien

6. What are the symbols of the USA?

←There are many symbols that represent the United States of America. Some of the most popular ones are the Stars and Stripes (the US flag), the Great Seal of the USA, the bald eagle(our national bird), the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the US Capitol, the White House, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty (a gift from France), Mount Rushmore (carved on a mountain in South Dakota), The Star Spangled Banner (the national anthem of the USA), The Pledge of Allegiance, Yankee Doodle , Uncle Sam (a cartoon figure designed by Thomas Nast), the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Golden Gate Bridge, the World War II Memorial, and many others.

←/history/us/symbols/

7. When people talk about the U.S. as a nation of immigrants, you may think of the nickname ___ .

Answer: Melting Pot / Salad Bowl

8. When people talk about going to the U.S. to pursue success, you may say they want to achieve their ___ .

Answer: American dream

←American Dream

The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States; a set of ideals in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.

←The American Dream

Land of opportunity

(1) individual freedom of choice in life styles

(2) equal access to economic abundance

(3) the pursuit of shared objectives mutually advantageous to the individual and society

9. Who’s the most renowned leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the US?

Answer: Martin Luther King (1929-1968)

←What is culture

←Varied definitions

---- the art, literature, and music of a people, their architecture, history, religion, and tradition

---- the way of life of a group of people, developed over time and passed down from generation to generation

---- the customs and specific behavior of a people

英国人类学家Edward B. Tylor提出：

文化是一个复合的整体，其中包括知识、信仰、艺术、法律、道德、风俗以及人作为社会成员而获得的任何其他能力和习惯。

简单地说，文化是一种复杂的社会现象，它渗透于社会生活的各个方面，是人类社会生活和精神生活的总和。

←胡文仲指出：学习一门外语，就意味着学习它所构筑的一整套文化世界；掌握一门