中美家庭模式及觀念比較(英文版)課件

Chapter9Family

May15thof2006istheeleventhInternationalFamilyDay.Since1980s,thenumberofthefamiliesintheworldhasbeenincreasinggreatly;whilethefamilyscaleshavebeenshrinkingsteadily,andpeople’sconceptionoffamilyhaschangedalot.Allofthesechangesbringaboutagreatshocktothewholesocietyalong.Inthischapterwewillmainlytalkaboutthefamiliesofthetwoculturesfromthefollowingaspects:ResidenceandPrivacy2.ParentsandChildren3.Housework4.FamilyStructureⅠ.ResidenceandPrivacyThereisalwaysabigorsmallyardinmostwesternhomes,withsomebushesaroundtheyard.Butthereseldomisanytallandbigenclosingwall.ManyAmericansjustusesomecurtainsorshutterstoseparatetheinsidefromtheoutside.WhileinChina,thehousesarealwaysenclosedbyaverytallandbigwall,whichoftenseparatestheinsideworldapartfromtheoutsidecompletely.Fromtheoutsideworld,peoplecanjustseetheroof.Behindthetallwall,thereisashorterone,withawoodenscreenseparatingtheoutsidefromtheinsideagain.2.Asfortheinsidearrangementsofthehouse,therearealsosomedifferences.Thewesternersputonmuchstressontheirpersonalspace.Therefore,respectivelythereisadoorinthebathroom,bedroom,sitting-roomoreventhekitchen.Nobodycaninvadeanyoneelse’spersonalspace:parentshavenothefreedomtoenterthechildren’sroom,andthesamewiththechildren.InmanyChinesefamilies,unlesstherearemarriedchildren,therearefewpersonalrights.SomeChinesechildren,evenwithabighouse,maystaywiththeirparentsuntilseveralyearsold.Parentscaninterfereintheirchildren’saffairs,andchildrenalsohavetherighttousetheirparents’articles.Whenthechildrenbreaksomething,theirparentsmayblamethemforthebreakingbutnotfortheirprivacy.Ⅱ.ParentsandChildrenOntherelationshipbetweentheparentsandchildren,therearealotofdifferencesbetweenthetwocultures.TheWesternerspaymuchattentiontotheirchildren’srights.Thiscanbeembodiedinsomanyorganizationsforchildren,suchastheChildren’sWelfareAssociationmentionedinthemovieGuasha.WhileinChina,parentsareinfullchargeoftheirchildren.2.IntheWesterncountries,parentsmaylearnfromtheirchildren,especially,theyareproudofthisbehavior.Theimportantthingfortheparentsiswhattheyshoulddofortheirchildren.TheChineseparentsseldomlearnfromtheirchildren.Whattheystressiswhatcantheirchildrendoforthem,evenwhenthechildrenarelearningfortheirfuture,theymayputonthismission---fortheirparents’sake.3.Fortheabovereason,inChina,onlythefinancialsupportfortheparentsisfarfromenough.Thechildrenmustkeepinmindthattheirparentsarealwaysright.Andwheneverandwherevertheyare,theyshouldmanagetomeettheirparents’desireandmakesureoftheirsafety.Whenparentscannotgetwellalongwithhiswife,amanevenmaydivorceforhisparents’sake.4.Theotherdifferenceisreflectedintheattitudestowardstoys.Whenthechildbreaksatoy,theChinesemothermaypunishherchild,whiletheAmericanmothermaypraisethechildforhisorhercreativity.InChina,atoymaybekeptforseveralyears,even,severalgenerations.AnAmericanmothermaythinkofitassignalsofbeingslow.5.Whenwesternerstalkabouttheirfamily,theyoftenrefertotheirparentsandtheunmarriedsiblings.WhilewhenitcomestoChinese,theymayalsoincludetheirgrandparentsandotherevenmarriedrelatives.Theymaynotlivetogether,buttheyareofteninthesamevillageorthenearone,whichisourChinesetradition.Thewesternersoftenlivefarawayfromeachother,onlytogatheronfestivalsorholidays.6.DuetothedifferenceinNo.5,childrencontactwithnotonlytheirparentsandsiblings,butalsootherrelatives,whichmeanstheyhavearelativelybiggerinterpersonalandeducationalcircle.Forexample,inChina,allmembersoftheeldergenerationcaninstructachild,butinwesterncountries,it’sonlytheparents’duty.7.Anotherdifferenceis,inChina,parentsandchildrendependoneachotherclosely.Forexample,inChina,asonmustsupporthisfather(somebigfamilieswithlargecapital),andthefathershouldalsosupporthisson.8.Generationgapisaveryseriousprobleminwesterncountries.Becauseparentsalwayscannotagreewiththeirchildreninmanyaspectslikeclothes,hairstyle,job,friendsormarriage.Manychildrenmayleavetheirhome,dropoutofschooloreventakedrugs.Itisalsoamaincauseofthequarrelbetweenmother-in-lawanddaughter-in-law.Ⅲ.Housework

InBritain,apartfromsomeyoungmen,theconservativemenwillneverdohousework.Theythinkdoinghouseworkisthewife’staskandtheyconsideritashamed.ThereforeinBritain,manymenwouldliketoreadnewspapersonsofaorwatchTVratherthanhelptheirwivestodosomething.WhileinAmerica,husbandsmayalwayshelptheirwivescleanthehouseorlookaftertheirchildren.Atleisure,Americanhusbandsoftenplaywiththeirchildrenandteachthemsomeathleticskills.1.Inwesterncountriesmarriedchildrenusuallydonotlivewiththeirparents.Onepatternthatwascommoninthe1950sandcoversaboutoneineightfamiliestodayiswheretheparentsandmarriedchildrenliveclosetogetherbutinseparatehouses.Thefamilybondremainsstrongbymeetingeachotherfrequentlytohelpeachotherwhenneededandmothersanddaughtersarelikelytomeeteachotherfrequently.Ⅳ.FamilyStructure2.Anotherpatterniswhereparentsandmarriedchildrenlivefurtherapart(usuallyaboutanhour’scardrivefromeachother).Theymaymeetonlyonceortwiceamonthbutkeepincontactwitheachotherbytelephoneandhelpeachotherwhennecessary.Thispatternisgrowingandcoversabouthalfofthepopulation.Itisfoundespeciallyinmiddle-classfamiliesinthesoutheastofEngland.3.Themostcommonfamilypatterninwesterncountriesiscallednuclearfamily---onlyparentsandtheirunmarriedchildren(oftenoneortwochildrenliveinasetofhouse.NuclearfamilyisthecharacteristicofWesternfamilies.4.Apartfromnuclearfamily,thereisastableincreaseinsingleparentfamilyduetotheincreasingdivorcerate,livingapartofthecouple,oneabandoningtheotherandtheincreaseofbastards(私生子).Therearealwaysalotoffinancialproblemsinsingleparentfamilies.Thefinancialstatusofsingleparentfamiliesisonlynexttotheunemployedandthoselivingonoldagepension.Inadditionthechildrenwithoutfathersaremorelikelytocommitcrimes.5.Withtheincreaseofdivorce,remarryingisanothercommonphenomenoninwesterncountries.Remarriedparentshavetheirownchildrenorchildwiththechildrenfromtheformerfamilies.Inthiscaseachildmayhavetwofathersandtwomothers.Alsotheremaybesomenewproblems.Getsth.fromthissentence“John,yourchildrenandmychildrenarebeatingourchild.”6.Inwesterncountries,thereisanotherpocket-sizedfamily.Thiskindoffamilyiscomposedbysomefashionablecouples.Theyarejustenthusiasticabouttherealizationoftheirself-valueandself-development,andtheyonlystriveforpersonalfreedomandenjoyment.Theyarenotinterestedinbearingchildren.Nowwithmoreandmorewomengoingouttoworkandhavingtheirownincome,thiskindoffamilywhichiscalledDINKFamily---DoubleIncomeNoKids

developsveryfast7.AccordingtoanarticleinTimes,thetypesofBritishfamilieshavehadgreatchangesinthelastthreedecades.Thetrendmainlyisthedecreaseofmarriedhousehold:from55%in1991to45%in2001.Thusthereoccurssomeothertypesoffamilypatterns:onepersonfamilies(causedbytheincreaseinthenumberofelderlypeopleinBritain---emptynestandyoungpeoplechoosingtoliveontheirownaswellasmoreandmoreyoungpeoplechoosesinglelife.)

(2)Cohabitants/compoundfamily(Thisgroupincludesthreesub-types:①thetwoperson’srelationshipisinfacthusbandandwife.Theyjustdidn’thavetheregistrationandwedding.Theymayalsohavetheirchildren.Itisreportedthatthereare11%oftheBritishchildrenunder16livinginsuchfamilies.②thetwoarejustfriendsorcolleagues,andtheyjustshareasetofhouseandtheyhavetheirownliferespectively.ThisisverycommoninChinatoo.)③thethirdistherearenotonlytwocohabitants.Maybeseveralsinglesorseveralcoupleslivetogetherandtheyallhavetheirownlivesbuttheymaysharesomeexpenses.Thiskindoffamilyisnowcalledgroupfamilyandisverypopularinmanybigcitiesforthesakeofhighexpenses.8.Thereisalsoanincreaseinanothertwotypesofhouseholds:kangaroo’sfamily(oldunmarriedchildrenlivingwiththeirparents)andthehouseholdwithyounghusbandandolderwife(老妻少夫).

9.SINKfamily:withthechangeofpeople’snotion,thereoccursfull-timewifeorfull-timehusbandwithoutchildandthiskindoffamilyiscalledSINKfamily---SingleIncomeNokids.Manypeoplemaystriveforthiskindoflife,butithassomepotentialdangerasitmaydestroyaperson’spsychologicalbalance.

10.Besidestheabovefamilypatterns,inwesterncountries,therearealsothefamilieswithseveralgenerations---maybethreeorfourlivetogether---calledextendedfami