高级视听说文本414.docx
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高级视听说文本414.docx
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高级视听说文本414
Chapter4FamilyintheUnitedStates
Ahundredyearsago,oneheardthesamekindofcommentsabouttheAmericanfamilythatonehearstoday---inshort,thattheAmericanfamilyisdisintegrating.Proofofthisdisintegrationattheendofthenineteenthcenturyincludedthreepoints:
thedecliningbirthrate,arisingdivorcerate,andevidencethatwomenwerenotcompletelycontentwiththeirdomesticrole.It’salittlesurprisingtomethatthesameclaimaboutthefamilyisbeingmadetoday---thatitisdisintegrating.Andoftenthesamepointsarementionedasproof:
decliningbirthrates,increasingdivorcerates,anddiscontentofwomenwithdomesticroles.Now,innowaydoImeantoimplythatcultural,demographic,andeconomicconditionsarethesamenowastheywere100yearsago.Onthecontrary,theverynatureofthefamilyhaschangeddrasticallyinthelast50years,nottomentionthelast100years.ButIdon’tthinktheaverageperson’sconceptofthefamilyhaschangedverymuchovertheyears.Alotofpeoplehaveonfixedideaofthefamily:
amarriedcouplewhereMotherstayshometocareforthechildrenandFatherworks.ButthisideaischallengedbywhatweseeeverydayinU.S.society.Tobesure,thefamilyisaverysensitivebarometerforwhatishappeninginthesociety,theculture,andtheeconomyoftheUnitedStates.Tomakethispointclearer,we’lltakealookathowtheAmericanfamilyhaschangedinthelast50yearsbylookingatthreedifferenttimeperiods:
therearethemid-1940stothemid-1960s;themid-60stothemid-80s;andfinallythepresent.SociologistBarbaraDafoeWhiteheadlabelsthesethreeperiods:
theperiodoftraditionalfamilism,theperiodofindividualism,andtheperiodofthenewfamilism.Iwilltryforeachperiodtoshowhoweconomic,demographic,andculturalelementsinteractand,inturn,affectthefamily.
Well,let’sproceedinchronologicalorderandstartwithtraditionalfamilism.We’retalkinghereofthetwentyyearsfromthemid-1940stothemid-1960s.ThiswastheperiodafterWorldWarII,aperiodcharacterizedbyaverystrongeconomy.ThisgavetheUnitedStatesarisingstandardoflivingandagrowingmiddleclass.Demographically,thepredominantconfigurationofthefamilyfromtheseyearswasthetraditionalone:
amarriedcouplewithchildren.Somewomenworked,butdivorcerateswerelow,andbirthrateswerehigh.Iguessyoucouldsaythatthecountryidealizedthefamilyintheseyears.AndwhatImeanis,therewasacommitmenttothefamilyfromitsmembersandareverenceforitfromsociety.TVprogramsoftheeradepictedthefamilyintheclassicalconfiguration:
workingfather,housewife,andchildren.Culturally,threecharacteristicsstandoutinthisperiod:
conformitytosocialnorms,greatermaledominationofthefamilythaninthelaterperiods,andclear-cutgenderroles,thatis,clearandseparaterolesformenandwomenathomeandatwork.Well,thingschangedquiteabitafterthisperiod.
Let’smoveontothesecondperiod,theperiodofindividualism.Thisperiodisfromthemid-1960stothemid-1980s.Now,becauseindividualismissooftenmentionedinourdiscussionofU.S.cultureandpeople,Ishouldmakealittledetourherebeforewediscussit.Individualismbringstomindtwootherwords:
independenceandself-reliance.Individualismconveystheideathatoneshouldthinkandactforhimselforherself,accordingtowhatonefeelsisright.Individualismiseasilyconfusedwithegotismorselfishness,butinitsbestsense,itismuchmore.Individualismimpliesthatonehasthefreedomtodecidewhatisbestratherthanallowingthatdecisiontobemadebyagroupsuchasthecommunityorsociety.Individualismdoes,ofcourse,conflictwiththeconceptofcommunity,whichimpliesthatthegroupsharesinmakingdecisions.AndthisconflictbetweentheindividualandthecommunityisonethatcomesupagainandagaininourlectureseriesabouttheUnitedStates.Allright,let’sgetbacktoourdiscussionaboutthefamily.
Thesecondperiod,theperiodofindividualism,sawthreeimportantsocialandpoliticalmovements.DoyouhaveanyideawhichmovementsImightbetalkingabout?
Keepinmindthatthesedecadeswerecharacterizedbyalackofconformitytosocialnorms.Well,themovementshaveinmindarethesexualrevolution,inwhichsexwasclearlynolongerreservedformarriage;thewomen’sliberationmovement;andthemovementagainstthewarinVietnam.Allthreemovements---thesexualrevolution,woman’sliberation,andtheantiwarmovement---weretypicalofthenonconformingnatureofthesedecades.Now,culturally,itisinthisperiodwhereweseetwoimportantdevelopments:
onetheidealizationofone’scareerandworkand,two,thedriveforself-expressionandself-fulfillment.Inthisperiod,thefeministmovementchallengedtraditionalgenderrolesandmaledominationofsociety.Womenbegantoenterprofessionspreviouslyclosedtothemlikemedicine,law,andmanagement.Men,fortheirpart,beganatleasttoconsideramoreactiveroleinraisingtheirchildren.
Theseculturalchangesoccurredduringatimeofeconomicchanges,too.Thiswasatimeofrapidlyrisingcostofliving.Together,theseforceschangedthedemographicsofthefamily.Theformerpictureofthefamilyhadonlyoneconfiguration:
amarriedcouplewithchildrenwhereMotherstayedhome.Thenewpictureofthefamilyhadtoincludenewconfigurations,likefamiliesinwhichthehusbandandwifebothworked,familiesofsingleparentswithchildren,andfamiliesofcohabitingcoupleswithorwithoutchildren.Withmorewomenpursuingcareersandmakingmoney,therewaslesseconomicpressureforthemtostayinanunsuitablemarriage.Therefore,divorceratesdoubledinadecade.Risingdivorceratesandmorefinancialindependenceforwomenmademarriagealessattractivearrangementformanywomen.Consequently,thenumberofsingle-parenthouseholdstripled.Lessconformitytosocialnormspavedthewayforcohabitation.Sothenumberofunmarriedcoupleslivingtogetherinthisperiodquadrupled.Canyouseehoweconomic,cultural,anddemographicaspectsofthesocietyinteractwitheachother?
Ihopeso.Well,let’scontinuewithouragenda.
Thethirdperiod,thenewfamilism,ishardertoseebecausewearelivinginthisperiodnow.AndbecauseweareconstantlyinformedbythemediaaboutthedeterioratingAmericanfamily,it’shardtogetanobjectiveviewofthestateofthefamily.Ithinkthattodaymostpeopleapplaudthesocialchangesthatcameaboutinthesecondperiodofindividualism.Theyarenotwillingtogiveupgenderequality,thefreedomtoleaveanunsuitablemarriage,ortheself-fulfillmentofaninterestingjob.Atthesametime,mostexperts,ifnotmostpeople,admitthatchildrenpaidahighpriceforthesocialchangesthattookplaceinthesecondperiod.Itwasthechildrenwhospentlongdaysindaycareorafter-schoolhourshomealonewhilebothparentsworked.Anditwasthechildrenwhogrewupwithonlyoneparentorwithstepparentsinmanycases.
SomeexpertsseechangesoccurringnowinU.S.society,changesthataffectthefamily.Theyseeacontinuingdeclineinndivorceratessincethe1980sbutalsoadeclineinbirthratesafteraninitialincreasein1980s.Thedeclineindivorceratescouldbeduetofamilies’betterfinancialsituations.Despitethedeclineindivorce,aquarterofU.Schildrentodaylivewithonlyoneparent.Thebirthrateisprobablydecliningbecauseanincreasinglifespanresultsinfewerwomenofchildbearingage.Amoreencouragingreasonisthereductioninunmarriedteenpregnancies.Expertsalsoreportanattemptbypeopletobalanceworkwithfamilyobligations,especiallythecareofchildren.Theyseetheindividualismofthemiddleperiodchangingsomewhat;theconcernseemsinmanycasestobeshiftingfromone’scareertoone’sfamily,fromindividualismtothenewfamilism.ThemostoptimisticviewofthisthirdperiodwouldbethatAmericanshavelearnedfrompastmistakes:
theywanttoregainthecommitmenttofamilyofthefirstperiodandkeeptheequalityandfulfillmentofthesecondperiod.Itwillnotbeeasytoregainthecommitmenttothefamilyofthefirstperiod.Itwillrequirechangesinhowsocietyandthegovernmentlookatthefamily.Infamilieswherebotherparentswork,oneparentmaytrytoworkathomeorworkonlypart-timetohavemoretimeforthechildren.Placesofworkmayoffermoreflexibleworkinghoursandon-sitedaycaretoallowmoretimeforparentsandchildren.Foritspart,thegovernmentcouldmandateparentalleave,familyallowances,andqualityday-carecenters.Parentalleaveandfamilyallowanceswouldallowparentstostayhometolookaftertheirnewbornchildren.Qualitydaycarewouldbeadequatelystaffedbyprofessionalswhostayattheirjobsandwiththesamechildrenyearafteryear.
Noneofthesechangesisguaranteed.ButitseemsclearthatsuchchangesorsimilaronesarenecessarytoensureahealthierU.S.familyinthefuture;and,ahealthierfamilyisneededtoplaythecentralrolethatfamilydoesineverysociety.I’vegoneoveralothere,butifyouwanttopursuethetopicfurther,therearesomereferencesthattheendofthelessontohelpyoudoso.
Chapter5Lecture:
Religion
ReligionisacomplexphenomenonintheUnitedStatesandoftenmisunderstoodbyforeigners.Partofthismaybebecausethemedia,forexample,televisionandfilms,areoftentheonlywaysthatforeignersareexposedtoAmericanculture.Thesemedia,ingeneral,ignoretheroleandimportanceofreligioninAmerica.
DrivingthroughthecountrysideandpassingthroughsmalltownsintheUnitedStates,foreignersareoftensur
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