美国社会文化第四章.ppt

1、Chapter 4 Traditional American values and beliefs,The United States probably has a great diversity,John Zogby, an American pollster who surveys public opinion, say that what holds the United States together is that “we all share a common set of values that made us AmericanWe are defined by the right

2、s we haveOur rights are our history, why the first European setters came here and why millions more have come here since.”,Roger Williams(1603-1683)， Clergyman, advocate of religious freedom, and founder of Rhode Island born in London. He early espoused (支持) Puritanism and emigrated to the Massachus

3、etts Bay Company in 1631. He believed that governments should have no connection to a church. Separation of church and state became one of the most important governing ideas in America.,Often adult children return home to live with their parents because of economic conditions or a failed marriage. P

4、arents are usually happy to help out, but most members of the family expect this to be a short-term arrangement. When people are dependent, they risk losing freedom and they may also lose the respect of their peers. Even if they are not truly self-reliant, most Americans believe they must at least a

5、ppear to be so. In order to be in the mainstream of American life to have power and/or respect individuals must be seen as self-reliant.,Although Americans provide a lot of financial support to people in need through charities or government programs, they expect that help to be short-lived. Eventual

6、ly, people should take care of themselves. Although receiving financial support from charity, family, or government is allowed, it is generally not admired. Some people believe that such individuals are setting a bad example, which may weaken the American character as a whole. The sight of beggars o

7、n city streets and the plight of the homeless may inspire sympathy but also concern, for the same reason.,Coming to America 来到美国,An African prince goes to Queens, New York, to find a wife whom he can respect for her intelligence and independence. 来到美国_标清.flv,When the economy weakens, everyone suffer

8、s, and there are greater numbers of the working poor those who work hard but have low-paying jobs that do not provide a decent standard of living and may not provide health insurance.,Most Americans, however, still believe in the value of hard work. Most believe that people should hold jobs and not

9、live off welfare payments from the government. There have been many efforts to reform the welfare system so that people would not become dependent on welfare and stop looking for jobs to support themselves. Limitations have been put on the number of years a family can remain on welfare, but the syst

10、em still has many problems. One of the most critical problems is the cost of health care in the U.S. and the fact that many employers no longer offer health insurance to their employees. It is often the children who suffer most, particularly in families of the working poor, another issue is governme

11、nt benefits to immigrant and immigrant children; many of these families are living in poverty.,The American Dream,John Kenneth White, in The Values Divide: American Politics and Culture in Transition, observes that in spite of all the changes in the nations population, economy, and culture, the beha

12、viors and values of Americans have remained remarkably constant: Americans still love their country and believe that they can accomplish almost anything. A recent poll found 91 percent who agreed with the statement, “Being an American is a big part of who I am.” only 11 percent said they would live

13、to emigrate elsewhere. Frenchman Clotaire Rapaille captured this unique aspect of American patriotism: “America is not a place. It is a dream.” 【政治学】价值分裂：变动中美国政治和文化.pdf P52-59,In America 前进天堂（新美国梦）An Irish immigrant family adjusts to life in the United States,爱尔兰移民约尊尼和莎拉，带着他们的两个女儿，为实现自己的梦想来到美国。但两人很快

14、就发现美国并不是一块机会遍地的黄金大陆。因为缺钱，一儿家人只好栖身于纽约的廉价公寓，公寓破旧得犹如恐怖片场景，住在那里的人形形色色。而他们以前的积蓄全部花在了食物、房屋租金和煤气水电费上。更让尊尼与莎拉觉得痛苦的是，他们无法从爱子夭折的悲痛之中摆脱出来，并发觉彼此的关系也仿佛因为在纽约艰难生活的压力而更加紧张。 他们的神秘邻居马堤奥是一个脾气古怪的画家，他恼怒的尖叫声经常在楼梯间回响，但是他却对莎拉的女儿俩出乎意料的和蔼。在马堤奥与这家人相处的过程中，我们看到了这个移民家庭的喜怨哀乐和他们如何坚守着家庭、希望、信念、奇迹与爱 新美国梦.MP4,Race and gender may still

15、 be factors affecting success, although there are laws designed to promote equality of opportunity for all individuals and, of course new immigrants continue to face challenges unique to their situation.,谭恩美（Amy Tan）,Amy Tan (1952-) When Amy Tan was thirty-five, she visited China with her mother. Un

16、til then, Tan, who was born in the United Oakland, California, to Chinese immigrants, had rejected her Chinese heritage. On that trip, however, she made peace with her Chinese roots. At the time, she was leaving a successful career as a business writer to become a fiction writer. When she returned t

17、o the United States, she began The Joy Luck Club (1989), a novel about four Chinese American women and their mothers. The book made Amy Tan an overnight celebrity. The Kitchen Gods Wife (1991) was even more enthusiastically received. Her third novel, The Hundred Secret Senses, was published in 1995.

18、,谭恩美（Amy Tan），美国华裔作家。1952年出生于美国加州奥克兰，曾就读医学院，后取得语言学硕士学位。她因处女作喜福会而一举成名，成为当代美国的畅销作家。 著有长篇小说喜福会灶神之妻、灵感女孩和为儿童创作的月亮夫人、中国暹罗猫等，作品被译成20多种文字在世界上广为流传。 如今谭恩美已然成为美国文坛族裔作家的一位代表人物，而在当今美国社会倡导多元文化的大背景下，她的地位早已渐渐超越了一位少数民族或者流行小说家的身份，而成为整个美国乃至西方最为著名的作家之一。,喜福会预告片 4个中国女人的故事_标清.flv,喜福会是美国著名华裔女作家谭恩美的第一部长篇小说，也是她的成名作，一出版即大获成功，当年曾经连续八个月荣登纽约时报畅销书，成为1989年美国四大畅销书之一，多次获奖并拍成电影。 小说描写解放前夕从中国大陆移居美国的四位女性的生活波折，以及她们与美国出生的女儿之间的心理隔膜、感情冲撞、爱爱怨怨，令人感慨万千。全书分别从母亲和女儿两个体系来安排，两者呼应得十分融洽，既可独立成章，又可连成一体。同时本书翻译时保持了原作的诙谐和美国式的幽默，更符读者的阅读习惯。阅读本书，我们不仅可以了解到美籍华人的心态和观念，感受血浓于水的骨肉亲情。 Th