美国人价值观及其成因英文
[ 收稿日期] 2007..09..30
[ 作者简介]郭贇( 1986..), 女, 内蒙古师范大学外国语学院在读本科生。
.. 2007年11月内蒙古师范大学学报.. (哲学社会科学版) Nov. , 2007..
第36卷.. 第6期Jou rn al of Inn erMongolia Norm alU n iversity ( Ph ilosophy & Social Science) Vo.l 36.. No. 6
美国人价值观及其成因
郭贇
(内蒙古师范大学外国语学院, 内蒙古呼和浩特010022)
.. .. [ Abstract] .. 美国是一个移民国家, 在其历史上共有两次持续时间较长的移民运动, 来自欧洲、亚洲、非洲和美
洲的移民不仅带来他们的技术, 而且也将其文化带入美国社会, 这对美国人价值观和世界观的形成起了很大的影
响作用。追求平等自由独立和自我是美国人价值观的核心组成部分, 这些价值观的渊源既可上溯到清教文化, 同
时, 独立战争中发表的美国..独立宣言对其形成也产生了深远的影响。
[ KeyW o rds] .. 美国; 移民; 核心价值观; ..独立宣言
[ 中图分类号] D09 .. .. [文献标识码] A.. .. [文章编号] 1001..7623( 2007)
S1..0404..03
! ..American Values
America has been p lay ing an important ro le in our
w orld sinceWo rldWar II. A lthough its history is on ly about three hundred years long, it still has great effects on many aspects on o ther countries. Un likemost other people, America is primarily a nation of imm ig rants.
Their ancestors em igrated from m any parts of the
globe. This great ly influenced the ideas and va lues on
w hich American are based.
1..Deve lopm ent o fAmerican Va lues. As an imm i..
grated country, American values are different from oth..
er countries. V arious ethn icit ies, d ifferent re lig ions and some other pecu liarities lead to different va lues.
W hat. s more, the values a lso change in d ifferent t ime periods. So according to the time line, there are three
ma instream values in American society, w hich are Tra.. dit iona l value, Modern va lue, and Post- modern va l.. ue.
# . T rad itionalVa lue. The time frame of tradition..
al value is up to 1700s. Priests are themost influential people fo r those who hold th is belie.f They believe that hum an be ing is God. s creat ion in God. s image- bear.. er. So they are inc lined to preserve the past and obey the au thorit ies. They also think that hum an beings are created good, but gradually has fa llen and people have been separated from God by sin. So in o rder to recon.. cile to God by Jesus, they emphasize more onmora lity
and have very str ict se lf- disc ip lines. They sincerely believe that God and h is w ords in the B ib le have de.. fined the ir morality. Genera lly speak ing, Traditiona l va lue is more conservative and h ierarch ica.l
. . Modern Va lue. Modern value started from
1875 and now is very common in American. They be..
lieve in science and treat sc ientists as themost influen.. tial peop le. Comparing to Trad itional va lue, they th ink tha t hum an beings are just random chance beings, in.. stead of being created by God. So they w ant to improve
the past by the ir own th inking. On the o ther hand,
they a lso dare to question the authority. Because in
the ir op in ions, know ledge is from what people discover but notwhatGod says. A s fo r them, chaos is humans.
basic problem, and in order to so lve th is, theyw an t to pro long the ir life and se ize everyday. As to morality, they acknow ledge it as a hum an construc,t therefore
peop le can have their ow nmora lities.
% . Post- modern V alue. Post- modern value be..
g ins in 1960. It is a lso called Pop culture, because
some rock stars lead the fash ion and influence people
qu ite a lo.t For these people, they are inclined to ig.. nore the past and they don. t count on authority for ob.. ta in ing know ledge. They just w ant to know every thing & 404&
from the ir own experiences. In the ir op in ions, every.. body is equa,l nom atter for a president or a hom eless person. They treat themselves as their own authorit ies, so they do no t need to obey o thers. orders. How ever they are somet ime pessim ist ic because they cannot
know everything absolute ly. A s to them, the basic problem is they do not have enough to lerance because
they care too much abou t persona l stories and think
that certa in commun it ies can define morals.
2..CoreVa lues. American society is basically foun..
ded on the princ ip les of equality, liberty, pursu it of
happ iness and pioneering sp iri.t American people re..
gard these values very h ighly and cherish them as their
nat ional spirits.
# . Equality. Equa lity is the basic be lief in Am er..
ican values, just as the D ec lara tion o f Independence said, . A ll men are created equa,l that they are en..
dow ed by the irC reatorw ith certa in inalienab le rights(. So in the ir eyes all people are equal and have the ir ow n values, and no one is born superior to anyone e lse.
Once a baby is born, he begins to have va lue. God
creates him, so he is un ique in this w orld. Even fo r a home less person, he is still in the same level as peop le w ith high status. God loves every person. He w ill not
look down upon som ebody on ly because o f h is status. They have their own understandings o f things that seem inequality: . Ourw ealth is unequaled, but Jesus taught
that our faith shou ldm ake w ea lthm ean ingless(. In A.. merican h istory, there are many social movements
w hose aim is to get equa lity, such as the w omen. s movemen.t It w as started by three groups o f w omen,
w ho thought wom en w ere discrim inated in the soc iety and w anted to fight for their equal rights. Thew omen.
s movem ent gains m any rights and opportunities for
w omen.
How ever in the m id - 1990s, the number of
w omen in leadership in government and business corpo..
rat ions is still very low. But w e can st ill see that
w omen. s position has been improved a lot since then.
M ostAmericans dare to speak out all the ir ideas direct.. ly and need not consider about others. op in ions. Eve.. ryone is equa,l so everyone can do w hatever they w ant
to do, so w e can say that equality is one of the co re
values in American cu lture.
. . L iberty. The second core value of America is
liberty, which is also the basic point in the Declaration
of Independence and American history. Since Christo..
pher Columbus discovered the new land in 1492, A..
merican people have been suffering a lot from colonial
rule for nearly 300 years, how ever they never stopped
the ir struggle for liberty dur ing th is period of time. A f.. ter America gained independence from colonial rule,
liberty is still a nat iona l pursu it for American people. The C iv ilR ightsMovem ent and Free SpeechMovement
bo th demonstrate this po in.t Lega l seg regation ending
in the South, theU. S. sign ing a peace treaty in 1973,
and peop le getting freedom o f speech are a ll ach ieve.. ments ofAmerican people. s pursu it of liberty.
% . Independence and Ind iv idua lism. For most
peop le, independence and individualism are the first
two w ords that com e into theirm inds when they ta lk a.. bout Am er icans. The one va lue that nearly every A.. merican w ould agree upon is indiv idual freedom.
Whether you ca ll it ind iv idua l freedom, ind iv idua lism, or independence, it is the corn of American va lues. It influences nearly every aspect of the ir society. The
concept o f indiv idualism also affects the type o f govern.. ment somuch that ind iv idual rights are also guaranteed
in the United States Constitution. . These rights are so protected in our judic ial system tha,t even though A.. mericans may compla in that crim inals somet imes ) get
aw ay w ithmurder, . most people believe it is better to
free a few guilty persons than to imprison one person
who is innocent(.
Most Americans have their own persona l spaces
and usua lly they do no t w ant o thers to get involved in the ir personal affa irs. In genera,l most Am ericans ex.. press the ir ideas directly, w ithout too much considera.. tion. They care more about the ir ow n fee lings instead
o f o thers. opin ions. In add ition, Am er ican people pre.. fer to re ly on their own efforts. They are inc lined to create everyth ing by themselves, so they high ly value
se lf- reliance. O f course it. s different from what w e
ca ll selfishness. It is an expression o f equa lity, liber.. ty, and independence and the reason w hy American
peop le care so much about th is is just the ir pursuit o f equa lity and liberty.
Privacy is also of great sign if icance to Am er icans.
The indiv idual privacy may m ake it d ifficu lt to m ake friends. B ecause Am er icans respect their ow n privacy, they may not like to go to a person and say . he llo(.
A lthoughm any Am ericans are much opener than Chi..
nese peop le, they are st ill not so friend ly and hosp ita.. ble as Chinese.
. . The pioneering spiri.t The pioneering spirit o f
the early imm igrants is also an important American
trai.t A lw ays attracted to the new and fresh th ings, A.. mericans constantly move a lo.t They not only trave l
& 405&
郭贇/ Ame rican Value and Its Or ig in
from place to p lace in search for a better life, but a lso try to raise the socia l h ierarchy because they cherish
the American Dream so much.
+ ..The Origins ofAmerican Values
American ma instream cu lture is deve loped from
w ha t is know n as .WASP( culture, w hich isWh ite
Anglo- Saxon Protestan.t So generally speaking, there
are tw o ma in factors that affect Am erican va lues qu ite much, and they are the imm igra tion o fPuritans and the Dec laration o f Independence.
1..The Imm igrat ion of Puritans. In 17 th century, a
group of people thought that the Church ofEngland w as
too Catho lic and they w anted to purify the Church.
How ever the ir be liefs w ere heret ica l to the Church of Eng land, so they had to leave there because they w ere
re lig iously persecuted. In 1620, one hundred and two people reached North Am er ica and began new life there from then on. They hoped to bu ild a city upon a hillan ideal commun ity, w hich w as equa,l free, and w ith..
out persecution. A fter they came, they strugg led very hard to surv ive in the comp lete ly strange env ironm en.t N ow adays Puritans are no longer in ex istence there,
but the ir legac ies are still show n in Am erican soc iety
and va lues. W hat. s more, they estab lished a string of into lerant moralism. They be lieved that governments
shou ld enforce God mora lity. The Puritans have left
rich culture heritage to futureAmericans. So theAm er.. ican va lues such as ind iv idua lism ow e very much to the Puritan be liefs.
In American society, peop le think h ighly ofAm er..
ican D ream: It is the be lief that any individua,l no matter how poor, can ach ievew ealth and fame through diligence and v irtue. It symbo lizes the American belief in equalizing o f opportunity. Besides th is, American Dream a lso affects people. s hard w orking ideas. They
all believe that d iligence and efforts are the key to get success. Anyone, no m atter what h is status is, can succeed by hard w orking. This is also a reason w hy A.. merican peop le cherish time so much. They like to fill
the ir life w ith w ork and never w aste time, and some peop le even fee l gu ilty w hen they have noth ing to do. What. s more, imm igration also brough t Puritan..
ism intoAmerica, wh ich has shaped American people.
s worldv iew and philosophy a lo .t A lthough it does not make America a complete Christian nation, it still changes people. s va lue.
2..The Dec laration of Independence
The Declarat ion o f Independence w as mainly draf..
ted by Thom as Jefferson and adopted by the C ongress
on Ju ly 4, 1776, when the people of 13 English co lo..
n ies in North America w ere fight ing for their freedom and independence from the Br itish co lonia l ru le. The documen t dec lares that a ll m en w ere equal and that they w ere entitled to have some unalienab le rights such as life, liberty, and the pursu it of happ iness. On one
hand, it show s Am er icans. common characters in pur..
suit of equality, liberty, and happ iness; on the other
hand, it guarantees Am ericans. pursu its and rights in
a government leve.l So w e can tell that the Declaration
o f Independence has shapedmost of theAmerican core
va lues.
, ..Conc lusion
Am erica is an imm ig rated country, so peop le. s
va lues are diverse, w hichm akes th is na tion havem any
un ique features. A s to its orig ins, the imm igrat ion cul..
ture has shaped the country. s developments as w e ll as
peop le. s values, and at the same time the Declaration
o f Independence show s and guarantees peop le. s values
and r igh ts.
[ 参.. 考.. 文.. 献]
[ 1] .. L loyd E. Kw ast. Understand ing Cu lture[M ]. Ju lian Pub..
lisher, 1998.
[责任编辑.. 张晋海]
& 406&
郭贇/ Ame rican Value and Its Or ig in
美国价值观(中英文对照)
Basic American Values and Beliefs 基本的美国价值观和信仰 Individual Freedom and Self-Reliance 个人自由和自力更生 The earliest settlers came to the North American continent to establish colonies which were free from the controls that existed in European societies. They wanted to escape the controls placed on their lives by kings and governments,priests and churches,noblemen and aristocrats. To a great extent,they succeeded. In 1776 the British colonial settlers declared their independence from England and established a new nation,the United States of America. In so doing,they overthrew the king of England and declared that the power to govern would lie in the hands of the people. They were now free from the power of the king. In 1789,when they wrote the Constitution for their new nation,they separated church and state so that there would never be a government-supported church. Also,in writing the Constitution they expressly forbade titles of nobility to ensure that an aristocratic society would not develop. There would be no ruling class of noblemen in the new nation. 最早的定居者来到北美大陆建立殖民地是自由的控制存在于欧洲社会。他们想逃避国王和政府的控制他们的生活,牧师和教会、贵族和贵族中流行。在很大程度上,他们成功了。1776年,英国殖民定居者宣布脱离英国独立,建立了一个新国家,美利坚合众国。这样做,他们推翻了英格兰国王,宣布权力治理将躺在人民的手中。他们现在没有国王的力量。在1789年,当
美国人的性格(英文版)
The Personality of Americans Most Americans are energetic and passionate . They would rather be self-disciplined than be restricted by others. They are proud of being able to act independently and rightful to make their own decisions. They take an active way to solve problems without any hesitation, even though it is risky. They are courageous thusthey will not give in easily. In the meanwhile, they are willing to go to anywhere to do any job, as long as they’re employed all the time.（简洁化）They are averse to receive “Special care”given by（from）the government. Generally speaking, an American is likely to change his job for about nine or ten times in his life. Americans are warm and friendly. Which Their friendliness is more real than we imagined.(反义词翻译) People hold the belief that Americans are emotional. Sentimental）When they see the National flag of United State in a ceremony or join（attend a parade in celebrate of（celebrating the glorious history of America, there are probably tears in their eyes. Besides, （倒名词）they will be fairly excited when they get together with friends and relatives. They dress appropriately（decently, even if to do so is to show off. They are fond of boasting themselves, however, on most occasions, it is just saying. Sometimes they can will laugh at themselves and their motherland , and they feel extremely self-reproach critical) ,while but they always have a strong patriotism. They have a great command of the things surrounded, and they’re deeply concerning
美国人的六种核心价值观
文化是思维的源泉；而价值观是文化的凝聚。以下为你介绍美国人最主要的“六种核心价值观念”，让你能从文化的深度去比较中美观念和思维方式的不同，训练起自己思维差异的敏感性。 1、“个性自由” 在英语中叫做"individual freedom"，它是美国人的价值观念中最重要的一个。它起源于美国祖先追求宗教信仰自由的传统。目前，它已演变成追求个性的自由、解放。在语言上的体现为，美国人经常爱用“I think..... I believe.... My opinion is...”这样带有强烈个性色彩的开头语来表达自己的观点。即便是美国国务卿在代表美国政府讲话时，也会用这样个性色彩强烈的词汇。这与我们汉语的习惯有差别，我们总是在引用别人的东西，很怕把自己暴露出来，俗话说“枪打出头鸟”，所以从汉语中很少能体现出个性。有一次，我去美国朋友家做客，到晚上11：00，已经很晚了，于是我就按中国人的方式向美国朋友告别：“Mr. Steve，it is too late， you should have a rest， I bother you so much， i am sorry for that。”当我说完这些客气话后，美国朋友非常不高兴，说：“No，come on， I don’t think you are bothering me，we talk so good.Listen，if you want to go，it is because you want to go， not because of me”。我起初十分不理解他，我是好意，但这正是价值观的差异。在美国人的头脑中，一个人只要对他自己负责好了，不要去替别人说话。 2、“自力更生” 在英语中叫做“self-reliance”，这是美国人获得individual freedom的必要心理素质。美国人认为每一个人生下来就是自由的，但要真正享受自由就必须要rely on yourself。这种观念体现在语言上就是在与美国人交谈时，他们很少通过炫耀自己的家庭或社会关系来抬高自己；如果你要那么做了只能让别人觉得你是个kid，他们会毫不客气地问你：Ok，we know your father is great person，if we want to do somthing， I am gonna find him.So， what are you? what kind of experience do you have?在美国人的头脑中，一个没有自己生活的人永远只能是个孩子。 3、“机会平等” 在英语中叫做“equality of oppotunities”，美国人的祖先多来自于中世纪英国中下层的统治下，是没有和贵族阶级一样的平等机会。所以，在美洲大陆，祖先们把“平等的观念”写进了宪法。这体现在语言上是，美国人永远愿意倾听别人的意见，给别人机会；一个人在一方面犯了错误，并不剥夺他在其他方面出色的权利。 4、“竞争意识” 在英语中叫做“competition”，美国人认为竞争是永恒的，也是一个人证明他在社会中地位的手段，但同时他也许要与同事的合作。但请注意，美国人所理解的“竞争”中的胜利并不是“惟我独尊”，而是得到别人的理解和认可；另外，美国人清楚的认识到依次的胜利只能说明过去，明天会有更多的挑战，要乐观的面对挑战，参加竞争。 5、“追求财富” 在英语中叫做“seeking the wealth”，我们前面提到过，美国人的祖先大多来自于贫民，追求财富，改善生活成为绝大多数移民的梦想。时至今日现在的美国人对于财富的理解远远超出了他们的祖先，时间、健康、能力、信息等都超出了纸币本身的价值，金钱成为了一种代表符号。总而言之，在美国人看来，一个人要有expectation，这是你个人前进的动力。
美国人的传统价值观
美国人的传统价值观 曹斯烨106150047 对于价值观，人类学家、社会学家、历史学家等都有各自的定义。美国社会学家塔考克?帕森斯（Talcott Parsons）是这样定义价值观的：“价值观是社会中人们一致接受的象征系统（文化系统）中的一个因素，是社会里各种选择或行动目标的标准。”一般来说，价值观包含以下几个因素：其一，价值观是一种抽象的思想观念，是生活经验的总结，是人们判断自己或他人言行的标准；其二，价值观是人们欣赏鉴别的标准；其三，价值观是选择行动的标准，但不是行动的目的，它是无形的不成文规范性规则。每一个社会、每一个民族都有自己传统的价值观，美国也是。 作为一个有着多人种、多元文化的一名国家，美国的传统价值观即继承了欧洲传统价值观中的部分内容，又通过200多年以来人民的不断打拼创造、不同民族文化的相互作用、相互融合得到了很大的发展，最终形成了极具有美国特色的，并导致了美国的快速发展的独特的价值观。 美国人的价值观可以从7个方面来阐述： 1、个人主义； 2、注重改变； 3、重视时间； 4、重视平等； 5、强烈的竞争意识； 6、注重效率和实际； 7、个性自由。 一、个人主义 个人主义是美国人的核心价值观。美国人的个人主义与生活在集体主义社会中的人眼中的个人主义并不相同，后者的个人主义被认为是自私自利、为了个人利益不惜牺牲集体利益。而美国人心目中的个人主义是独立和自立。大多数美国人认为个人主义是指“independent”和“self-reliance”，即“each one doing his own thing”.个人即是自己命运的主宰，由自己确立自己的目标，然后自行决定为达到这个目标而采取的办法、付出的努力。个人的生活和工
american values(美国的价值观)
As for values, my first thought about changes in America's values is that we are all much more materialistic than when I grew up, and making money seems so much more important to both individuals and to businesses. But I also think this is a value change that seems to be going on world wide, including China. Do you agree? Obviously I don't know what it is like in China, but the Chinese who live here have strong beliefs in both being well educated - and accumulating lots of wealth. And they tend to be very wealthy, at least in this part of the country. Lately the real estate market here has been booming, raising values, but the newspapers have all sorts of stories about how a lot of the buyers are wealthy Chinese buyers, both from here and from China. They are either buying here for investment reasons, or buying here to provide their children with homes. Frequently, they are paying all cash, which has not been that usual here, considering how expensive real estate is in this area. The other change in American values, and I have no idea if this is happening in China, is our focus on children. Families seem to revolve around their children's needs, buying them lots of toys, clothes, etc., even if they do not have a lot of money. In fact, a few years back, I read a study that when families go to restaurants, 80%
美国价值观评价英文作文-The Self-reliance Value in The USA
The Self-reliance Value in The USA A famous quote by Benjamin Franklin expresses this idea well: "God helps those who help themselves." Starting and going on with their own life by helping themselves just means, self-reliance. After a brief understanding of American culture, the self-reliance value is the most impressive word for me. Because, you know, in China, some are accustomed to depending on their relatives especially parents not only in childhood but the adult stage. But in America, it is completely a different scene. How comes the self-reliance? What is its accurate meaning? First of all, just let us explore the history of America. The earliest settlers came to the North America continent to establish colonies that were free from the controls that existed in European countries, such as the controls from kings, government, priests, church, noblemen and aristocrats. After their consistent struggle and fighting, America finally declared their independence from European setters and establish a totally new polity ----democratic public. In the new-born country, everybody had individual freedom,which is the wellhead of any other human right. By freedom, American citizens began to operate the rudder of their life. That means, they can control their own destiny without any interfering from dark powers, without any bound by traditional thinking, just following their heart to find their true world. As a consequence, a value of self-reliance gradually spread. In addition, we should not ignore the Western Development that formed an important part in American history. As American settlers moved west in the early and mid-19th century, they had to depend on themselves to create a new world in the completely unfamiliar and strange West. There were many new problems and difficulties waiting for them to overcome. There were countless resources and opportunities for them to discover and take advantage of. For them, the West was like a blank paper to write words. In the case of no comforts from their homes back East , Americans gradually developed a value similar with self-reliance. It means, they can do anything as long as they dare to challenge and work hard by themselves. It is an optimistic and brave attitude towards future and life. Furthermore, we cannot neglect the development in thinking and literature. From my point of view, the most popular content and type of book in specific period can reflect what value matters most in that period. Meanwhile, the book and thinking can take effects on values. So if we want to explore the history of the self-reliance value
美国人的价值观
美国人的价值观 So you're going to visit the United States? Great! But be prepared: the values Americans live by may seem strange to you. As a result, you might find their actions confusing, even unbelievable. Individualism/ Independence Americans view themselves as highly individualistic in their thoughts and actions. They resist being thought of as representatives of any homogeneous group. When they do join groups, they believe they are special—Just a little different from other members of the same group. In the U.S. you will find people freely expressing a variety of opinions anywhere and anytime. Individualism leads to privacy, which Americans see as desirable. It is not uncommon for Americans to say, and almost to believe: "If I don't have half an hour a day to myself, I go stark-raving mad!" Personal Control over the Environment Americans do not believe in the power of fate. They think that everyone should have control over whatever in the environment might potentially affect him or her. The problems of one's life are not seen as having resulted from bad luck as much as having come from one's laziness and unwillingness to take responsibility in pursuing a better life. Time and Its Control Time is of utmost importance to most Americans. It is something to be on, kept, saved, used, spent, wasted, lost, gained, planned, given, even killed. Americans are more concerned with getting things accomplished on time than they are with developing interpersonal relations. Their lives seem controlled by the little machines they wear on their wrists, cutting their discussions off abruptly to make their next appointment on time. Equality/ Fairness Equality is so cherished in the U.S. that it is seen as having a religious basis. Americans believe that all people are created equal and that all should have an equal opportunity to succeed. This concept of equality is strange to seven-eighths of the world which views status and authority as desirable, even if they happen to be near the bottom of the social order. Self-help Initiative
从美国人的消费文化窥探美国人的价值观
从美国人的消费文化窥探美国人的价值观 □刘璐 【摘要】美国是一个消费大国，美国人喜欢超前消费、借贷消费，他们已经习惯了这种消费方式，并且已经形成了一种消费文化，这在某种程度上反映了美国人的价值观，讲究自由和物质增长，注重效率和实用主义，看重物质享受等。本文依据美国人的消费文化对其价值观进行了探索。 【关键词】美国；消费文化；价值观 【作者简介】刘璐，女，九江职业大学助教，江西师范大学硕士在读；研究方向：英语教学 一、美国消费文化的特点 美国人的生活方式，曾被美国媒体形容为“只要太阳一升起，消费者就开始购物”，美国人消费的主要特征是超前消费、借贷消费，即寅吃卯粮。美国是一个消费大国，美国的个人消费总值占到国内消费总值的三分之二，据2006年的数据统计，美国人收入的90%用来消费，13%用来偿还贷款，这意味着他们必须依靠借款才能维持生活，在这个长期靠经济拉动消费的国家，他们已经习惯了借钱过日子。超前消费、放松物欲是美国人生活方式的基本特征，美国是消费未来资本的一个模板，它是一个超级大国，其GDP占全球总量的三分之一，经济实力相当雄厚。美国消耗的石油占全球石油总量的四分之一，人均石油消耗量达3．1吨。据美国地理学会的调查报告显示，美国人大多不喜欢乘坐公共交通工具或骑自行车，仅汽车消费就使美国消耗了全球四分之一的石油。美国消费文化的主要特征是超前消费，由于政府消费政策的鼓励和社会风气的影响，美国人提倡超前消费，为了维持高消费的生活水平，疯狂工作已经不能满足他们的需要，他们开始向着借贷出发。实际上，美国消费文化的产生和发展已经有很长的历史，借贷消费也曾经受过伦理的谴责和社会的挑战，但慢慢的这一消费文化逐渐被人们所接受，这种消费文化曾经给美国经济的发展做出贡献，但是随着美国经济监管的不力，这种消费方式已经转变为抑制美国经济发展的瓶颈。美国人信仰超前消费，并因此而自豪。美国大多数居民利用房屋抵押贷款的再融资来获得更多的贷款，以此维持自己的生活。 美国人这种消费方式和他们的消费水平是离不开的，例如，在中国很多名牌产品卖得很贵，而在美国却很低廉，在美国的市场地位却很低下，这时，我们必须考虑为什么美国的消费水平为何日次之高？首先我们必须了解美国人的经济状况，人均GDP是衡量国家经济状况的重要标准。据2004年世界银行人均GDP数据统计，美国人均GDP排世界第四，如果乘以美国三亿的人口基数，其经济实力是相当惊人的。2003年全球拥有百万资产的人数是770万人，而美国就有227万，由此可见，美国人的经济实力是相当雄厚的，这也就决定了其有较高的消费水平。其次，美国的物价普遍较低，这在某种程度上也促进了人们的消费。美国的食物是很便宜的，普通二人家庭的月消费折合成人民币也就200元左右，而这在中国几乎是不可能的。现在汽车已经成为人们出行的首选，在中国购买一辆汽车要几十万左右，而在美国，相同的产品，价格要低几倍。相比之下，美国的物价较低，这说明美国的经济很发达，为其消费提供了动力。 二、美国消费文化的形成 美国消费文化的形成经历着长期的变革，美国发展成为一个经济强国，历史上有很多人物做出了巨大的贡献，比如汽车大亨———福特，他首次将大众消费和大规模生产结合起来，缓解了供过于求的矛盾，使美国的经济发展从以生产拉动经济为主转变为以消费刺激消费为主。随着西方国家工业革命的完成，美国的消费文化已经基本形成，企业对消费的倡导和鼓励达到了前所未有的高度，美国政府更是鼓励人们大肆消费，住豪华的别墅，因此，刺激消费成为美国经济发展的一个重要支柱，消费甚至被当做一种爱国的行为。即使没有钱，他们也可以借助借贷抵押或分期付款的方式来消费，美国人纷纷消费，极大的促进了美国经济的发展。 三、从美国消费文化渗透出的价值观 （一）物质享乐主义。德国心理学家修格·艾斯特伯格曾经说过：“美国人很看重挖到的金子，主要是因为金子是他们能力的体现，所以，把他们定义为物质享乐主义而否认其理想主义，是错误的。”获得金钱是重要的，因为其能代表成功，但是对美国人来说，储蓄并不重要，因为人们把钱存起来，不去享受，不去帮助那些需要帮助的人，人们是不会喜欢的。所以，物质享乐主义就成为美国人消费的一大特色，他们既喜欢赚钱，又喜欢花钱。美国拥有丰富的自然资源，但是经济萧条让美国人懂得了，如果只是把财富据为己有，即使再富有也会遭受贫困。美国的技术发达，经济实力雄厚，毋庸置疑，高水平的物质生产一定会带来高水平的物质享受。所以，美国人喜欢把日常生活用品做的简单而方便，这样他们就有更多的时间来享受生活。食物买回来都是加工好的，蔬菜都是洗干净的，钢笔用几年都不用上墨水，暖气是自动的。美国人创造了一个简单舒适的世界，他们处处都有享受的场所，保龄球馆、网球馆、俱乐部、教堂等，他们制造简单的器 · 861 ·
中美家庭价值观对比-英文版
Differences of Family Values Between China and America Abstract :This paper tries to make a comparison of different family values between China and US, which appeared in many fields, for instance, the American emphasis the individualism but Chinese focus on the collectivism, the relationship between family members and their attitudes to each other are also quite different,the life style influenced by family values are varied. Reasons for these differences are complex, including different customs, cultures and social backgrounds and so on. Key words: family values, life styles, cultures, differences. Ⅰ.Introduction Family is the most basic unit of all human society. It reflects the ethical values of a society, its cultural characteristics and the unique features of a nation. People begin to learn anything about the world and their culture through the family they are brought up in. What you think, how you act, even your language, are all transmitted through the family from the wider cultural context. Family values are the core in the research of cultural values, and it has a huge influence on people’s thoughts and behaviors. So if we want to get a glimpse of the cultures of two different countries, it is necessary to know their different family values. In this paper we will analyze family values from different aspects, including the decisive family values, the attitude to the family members and their relationships, and the influences of family values. Ⅱ.The differences of family values. A.The individualism VS. the collectivism The American emphasize the personal independence, while Chinese emphasize on the whole family, not any individual member. Children in America have more freedom than that in China. Their parents rarely interfere with their private affairs, and usually try to enhance children’s all-around abilities when they are young. They
浅谈美国人价值观中的个人主义
美国人的价值观念 ——浅谈美国人价值观中的个人主义 美国只是一个230多年历史的新兴国家，没有过于悠久的历史文化，没有过于辉煌的历史古迹，虽然像一叶漂游于水中的浮萍一样没有根基，但同时也就意味着它没有历史的包袱。所以，不管何时，它都可以轻装上阵。 或许由于它是这样一个特殊的国家，所以在我的印象当中，我一直觉得美国是一个有个性的国家，美国人是一群有个性的生物体，虽然我没有去过美国。它的多元文化、消费方式、种族主义等等，都有着自己个性的印迹和特色。 在这里，我更想谈谈美国人的价值观念。 什么是价值观？人类学家克拉克洪（Clyde Kluckhohn）从个人与社会的行为模式、方式和目的等方面对价值观这样定义说，价值观是“个人或群体所特有的一种显型或隐型的认为什么是可取的观念，这一观念影响人们从现有的种种行动、方式和目的中做出选择。”美国社会学家Samovar和Porter则都认为：“价值观是规定性的，告诫人们什么是好的和坏的，什么是正确的和错误的，什么是真实的和虚假的，什么是正面的和反面的，等等。”价值观念包括很多方面，比如个人主义观念、物质观念、竞争观念等。 个人主义是美国人价值观当中最具有代表性的一个组成部分。荷兰人类学家Geert Hofstede曾就五十几个国家和地区的个人主义取向程度做过调查和比较, 调查结果表明美国社会中的个人主义占第一位。 “个人主义”（individualism）这个词最先是由法国政治学家、思想家托克维尔使用的。在19世纪40年代，他在考察了美国多个月之后写下了《论美国的民主》一书。托克维尔在这本书中最先提出了“个人主义”这一概念，并对它作了详细系统的阐释。他说“美国人不是把个人主义看作一个缺点而是看作一个近乎完美的品德, 它代表创造性、开拓性、积极进取精神以及不向权威屈服的自豪因此个人主义通常产生骄傲感,美国人认为它是美国文明独特的、最吸引人的地方”。 在英语单词的书写过程中, “我”字无论何时何地都要求大写, 而“我们”、“你们”、“他们”、“你”、“他” , 则不必大写。所以，从这个小小的侧面也可以看出, 在美国“我”比“我们”、“你们”、“他们”等其他任何人的地位都要重要。 在美国，每一个美国人都深信：每个人都有同等的价值，没有一个人生来就比别人高贵，每个人都有成功的机会。人们并不会因为你是总统就得仰视你，并不会因为你是富豪就得巴结你。父母的大名帮不了什么忙，没有人会来买账，总统的孩子一样可以去加油站擦汽车，去餐馆端盘子。 对美国人来讲，个人奋斗有着独特的内涵和渊源，因为个人主义是美国文化模式的重要内容。
美国人文化价值观
美国人文化价值观 文化价值观，从很大程度上讲，是对生活的理解和认识，是对生活的向往和追求，是对生活的发现和诠释。它的形成与一个民族的历史经历、社会发展和民族构成有着千丝万缕的联系。美国人的文化价值观当然也不例外。 按照对文化定义的宽泛性解释（即“生活方式”），美国人的文化价值观将包罗万象，涉及到生活中的方方面面。这里限于篇幅，仅择其要者略作议论。 l．认真工作。在美国人看来，工作是人们必须严肃对待的事情，它不仅是人们谋生的手段，而且还是人们活在世上必须履行的“天职”。根据《圣经》的教旨，“既然人总得以某种方式从事某种事业，所以，工作本身就是一件好事”。鉴于此，美国人在评判一个人时，首先关注的就是一个人的工作态度和工作成就。一个人的工作成就越大，这个人的价值也就越高。 2．尽情娱乐。美国人对游手好闲者极其鄙视，但并不排斥娱乐本身。传统的美国清教主义思想对娱乐持冷淡甚至否定的态度，但现代美国人，尤其是消费社会的美国人，已把他们先祖的教诲置之脑后，视娱乐为生活的一部分。在他们看来，娱乐是一种放松，一种解脱，一种消遣，一种调剂。它非但不与工作相抵触，反而有助于工作效率的提高。因此，美国人有“拼命工作，尽情玩耍”（work hard and play hard）一说。 3．勤奋努力。美国人对勤奋努力有两层意思的理解。第一，“做点事情比闲着要强一百倍”。因此，工作中、生活中遇到阻力挫折时，美国人首先想到的是自己努力去克服战胜困难，而不是等待他人来帮助化险为夷。第二，“勤奋努力会给人带来成功”。美国人是西方理性主义的信仰者；认为宇宙是机械性的，人是大自然的主人。只要坚持不懈地努力，人就会取得成功，就会掌握自己的命运。 4．乐观豁达。美国是一个年轻的国家，像一个血气方刚、开始人生旅途的青年人一样，对自己的美好前景充满着自信和憧憬。事实上，打从美洲“新大陆”发现，到美国西部边疆的开发，直到现在迅速发展的“信息高速公路”计划，美国人基本上一直以乐观豁达的眼光注视着周围的一切。他们不迷恋过去，对现状也较少满足，而更乐意展望未来，矢志不移地努力去迎接和创造更美好的“明天”。因为心中装着“明天’，所以，美国人能以乐观豁达的态度对待人生道路上的种种艰难险阻。 5．珍惜时间。美国人认为，时间是一个朝某一方向不停地流动的东西，人们可以追溯它的过去，但决没有把流逝的时间追回来的本领。基于这一认识，美国人对时间很吝啬，不肯轻易地浪费一分一秒，他们精于安排工作、学习、娱乐和社交的时间，力争在有限的时间内取得最理想的效果。预约某人见面，必须事先打招呼；邀人作客，得在一二周前发出请帖；去看医生，不可翩然而至；要与友人“侃大山”，也不可突登“三宝殿”。美国人这么做，一方面表现了他们对别人的尊重，不私闯“隐私区”，另一方面也反映了他们对时间的珍惜。在美国这样一个高度商业化的国家里，时间与金钱常常是可以划上等号的。 6．金钱至上。美国的私有制经济决定了雇主与雇员之间的金钱关系：雇主出钱，雇员出力；雇员的劳动时间一部分作为工资由他领取，另一部分则转换成利润进人雇主的腰包。从这个意义上说，时间对雇主和雇员来说确实意味着金钱。另外，美国商品经济发达，且家族血缘、社会等级观念比较淡薄，所以，金钱的多少成了衡量一个人的社会地位、个人价值的主要参照系数。无怪乎美国人把金钱看作通向幸福港湾的“方舟”。ark 7．追求独立。美国个人主义观念中的重要一点就是独立精神。从孩提时代起，美国家长和幼儿教育工作者就鼓励孩子们自主、自立。在家庭琐事上，在小朋友之间的交往中，大人们总是循循善诱地启发、开导孩子，决不越俎代庖，更不会把自己的意志强加于孩子身上。孩子们从小被教导要学着自我判断、自我决定、自我负责，切忌随波逐流，人云亦云，更不可唯唯喏喏，听凭摆布。这一切都是为了让孩子知道自我独立的重要性。以便他们日后在社会中寻找到自己的位置。
美国文化价值观
美国人的七种价值观 （1）个性自由。它是美国人的价值观念中最重要的一个。它起源于美国祖先追求宗教信仰自由的传统。目前，它已演变成追求个性的自由和解放。 （2）自力更生。美国人认为每一个人生下来就是自由的，但要真正享受自由就必须要靠自己。这种观念体现在语言上就是在与美国人交谈时，他们很少通过炫耀自己的家庭或社会关系来抬高自己；如果你要那么做了只能让别人觉得你是个kid，在美国人的头脑中，一个没有自己生活的人永远只能是个孩子。所以美国的孩子也都大多早熟，上学期间不论家庭情况好坏，他们都会有自己的一部分收入，自己赚钱养活自己已成一种社会风气。 （3）机会平等。美国人的祖先多来自于中世纪英国中下层的统治下，是没有和贵族阶级一样的平等机会。所以，在美洲大陆，祖先们把“平等的观念”写进了宪法。这体现在语言上是，美国人永远愿意倾听别人的意见，给别人机会；一个人在一方面犯了错误，并不剥夺他在其他方面出色的权利。随着个人主义的向前推进，男女职业角色的传统划分已被打破，带有性别和种族歧视的招聘、工作都会遭到控告，因此每家公司都会及其小心的避免有歧视的嫌疑。（4）竞争意识。美国人认为竞争是永恒的，也是一个人证明他在社会中地位的手段，但同时他也许要与同事的合作。但请注意，美国人所理解的“竞争”中的胜利并不是“惟我独尊”，而是得到别人的理解和认可；另外，美国人清楚的认识到依次的胜利只能说明过去，明天会有更多的挑战，要乐观的面对挑战，参加竞争。 （5）追求财富。因为美国人的祖先大多来自于贫民，追求财富，改善生活成为绝大多数移民的梦想。时至今日现在的美国人对于财富的理解远远超出了他们的祖先，时间、健康、能力、信息等都超出了纸币本身的价值，金钱成为了一种代表符号。总而言之，在美国人看来，一个人要有expectation，这是你个人前进的动力。 （6）敬业进取。在英语中统一的叫做“hard work”，多数美国人都会把“敬业、进取”当作自己获得财富和保持财富的手段。在美国的各大商场里，有一种“DIY”的商品最为畅销。很多美国人已经把工作，当成一种人生的乐趣。在竞争面前，只有敬业并不断进取，才能保持自己在竞争中不败！ （7）时间观念。美国人认为时间是一项有限的资源，所以他们试着去爱惜时间且加以管理。美国人经常参加有关时间管理的研习会或阅读这方面的书籍，他们似乎都希望能把自己的时间安排得更好。专业人士随身带着口袋型记事本，有些甚至是电子的记事本，好随时留意所订的约会与工作截止日期。人们想尽办法要在有限的时间内挤出更多的时间来。早期的美国英雄班哲明?富兰克林将这种想法表达得最淋漓尽致：“你爱生命吗？如果爱就不要浪费时间，因为生命即是由时间组成的。”对美国人来说，守时是一种尊重他人时间的表现。通常若约会迟到超过10分钟，就应该向对方道歉或解释原因。知道自己会迟到的人往往会先打个电话，让对方知道自己会晚一点到。 三．一些认识和看法 靠读书来了解美国只是对背景的熟悉，想要真正的了解一个完整的美国最好的方法是融进他们的生活，虽不是每个人都能出国，但美剧无疑是最好的选择。就我最近看过的连续剧《越狱》和《绝望主妇》还有女生比较喜欢的《绯闻女孩》，他们的背景是变化中的美国，是美国式的生活在银幕上的展示。《越狱》反映着国家的体制以及政治力量间的较量、权利的争斗、在那样一个阶层里现实的混乱与黑暗。《绝望主妇》讲述的是普通美国人的生活，有君子有小人，有正直有邪恶。“性”的开放，暴力事件，家庭里的枪支，父母对待子女的态度，同性恋