AMERICAN FAMILY VALUES

• DEFINITION• CHILD RISING• YOUNG ADULTHOOD• THE ELDERLY• CHANGES IN AMERICAN FAMILY

DEFINITION

FAMILY IS THE BASIC UNIT AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT INSTITUTIONS IN A SOCIETY

FAMILY

NUCLEAR

EXTENDED

MORE COMMON IN USA, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE BORN IN THE COUNTRY

MORE COMMON IN OLDER GENERATIONS, OR THOSE MIGRATED TO THE U.S.

SPECIAL VALUES OF AMERICAN FAMILY

A FAMILY PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO ADVANCE THE HAPPINESS OF ITS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS. THUS, THE NEEDS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL TAKE PRIORITY IN

THE LIFE OF THE FAMILY MAIN RESPONSIBILITY OF A FAMILY MEMBERS IS

NOT TO ADVANCE THE FAMILY’S (AS A GROUP) ECONOMY, SOCIAL-ROLE, AND HONOR, BUT TO REALIZE THE MEMBERS’ HAPPINESS.

ARISTOCRACY KEEPS ON DIMMING FROM AMERICAN SOCIETY.

CHILD RISING A NEWBORN BABY IS PUT IN A SEPARATE ROOM THAT BELONGS

ONLY TO THE CHILD IN ORDER TO PRESERVE PARENT’S PRIVACY AND TO DEVELOP THE CHILD’S PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE AND INDIVIDUALISM

COMMON EXPRESSIONS: CHILDREN SHOULD (1) “cut the (umbilical) cord” (2) not to be “tied to their mothers’ apron strings.” (3) learn to “look out for number one” (4) “to stand on their own two feet.”

AMERICAN CHILDREN ARE SOON TAUGHT TO MAKE DECISIONS AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS. THEY ARE ENCOURAGED TO WORK FOR MONEY OUTSIDE THE HOME AS A FIRST STEP TO ESTABLISHING AUTONOMY. 9-10 YEAR OLD CHILDREN MAY DELIVER NEWSPAPERS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND SAVE OR SPEND THEIR EARNINGS. TEENAGERS (13 TO 18 YEARS) BABY-SIT AT NEIGHBORS’ HOMES

YOUNG ADULTHOOD

o BETWEEN 18 AND 21 YEARS CHILDREN ARE ENCOURAGED, BUT NOT FORCE, TO “LEAVE THEIR NEST” AND BEGIN AN INDEPENDENT LIFE—HAVING THEIR OWN SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT OUTSIDE THE FAMILY.

o CHILDREN CHOOSE THEIR OWN SPOUSES—USUALLY BASED ON ROMANTIC LOVE. PARENTS DO NOT ARRANGE MARRIAGES FOR CHILDREN, NOR DO CHILDREN USUALLY ASK PERMISSION OF THEIR PARENTS TO GET MARRIED.

o AMERICANS’ WILLINGNESS TO TRY SOMETHING NEW, THE URGE TO BE JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES, SELF RELIANCE, AND INDEPENDENCE DRIVE A CHILD TO CHOOSE A CAREER THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM ONE’S FATHER

FOUR STAGES OF MARRIAGE DEVELOPMENT IN USA(sociological view)

19th Century: Wife as Servant to Husband; Wives were completely obedient, wife beating was legal up to 1850, wives had no power to make decisions in the family wives’ possession & earning belonged to husbands, women were not allowed to vote.

Late 19th Century-early 20th Century: Husband-head, Wife-helper; women began to work outside of the house & became more independent, wives had more power to make decisions in the family, women were allowed to vote (1920)

20th century: Husband-Senior Partner, Wife-Junior partner; More and more women worked outside of the house and their incomes were very important to maintain the family standard of living, wives’ power was almost equal to their husbands.

1960—now: Husband-Wife Equal Partners; The Women Liberation movement (1960s) legally ended all forms of sexual discriminations, husbands and wives equally share duties to provide family needs and to deal with household works and child rising.

THE ELDERLY

• AMERICAN SENIOR CITIZENS CHOOSE TO LIVE IN NURSING HOMES OR RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES BECAUSE: (1) U.S. SOCIAL SECURITY OR WELFARE SYSTEMS FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE ELDERLY; (2) IN NURSING HOMES THEY WILL FIND PEER GROUP ASSOCIATION WITHIN THEIR OWN AGE GROUP; AMERICANS’ GLORIFICATION OF YOUTH AND INDIFFERENCE TO THE AGED

• THIS SEPARATION OF THE ELDERLY FROM THE YOUNG HAS LEFT MANY OLDER PEOPLE ALIENATED AND ALONE.

CHANGES IN AMERICAN FAMILY Decrease of the size of the family. Growing number of working mothers Increased rates of separation and divorce (⅓ of marriages) for the

reasons of ‘unhappiness’ and having ‘irreconcilable matters’. Older generation believes couples should sacrifice their individual

happiness for their children’s sake, but younger generation thinks unhappy couples shouldn't stay married for the sake of children since unhappy marriages donot contribute to children’s happiness.

Growing number of ‘single-parent’ families, remarried parents, and communal lifestyles (though four out of five divorced couple eventually remarry other people)

1) (TRADITIONAL): THE CHANGES REPRESENT A BREAKDOWN IN THE FAMILY STRUCTURE, A DISINTEGRATION OF VALUES, AND A DECLINE OF MORALITY.

2) (CONTEMPORARY): THE CHANGES ARE INEVITABLE AND POSITIVE, BECAUSE THEY ARE NECESSARY TO ADAPT TO A RAPIDLY CHANGING SOCIETY, BELIEVE THESE SHIFTS IN FAMILY STRUCTURE

TWO CONTRASTIVE VIEWS ON CHANGES IN AMERICAN FAMILY:

SIZE OF AMERICAN FAMILIES

7.26.2

5.64.8 5.1

3.22.6

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1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 1996 2002

Year

WORKING MOTHERS IN THE U.S.

REASONS:

1. To fulfill financial need, not due to a desire to change their role from housewife to breadwinner.

2. To realize the belief that financial support of the family should be shared by the husband and wife.

3. For self-actualization (professional interest)

4. To comply with the desire to contribute to society.

FACTS ABOUT WORKING WOMEN

• More than 50 % of American women are part of the labor force

• Women hold more than 1/3 of all jobs in the U.S.

• Women’s major professions are in education, clerical and ‘service’ jobs.

• 85 % of elementary school teachers are women

• 50 % of secondary school teachers are women

WORKING MOTHERS IN THE U.S.

1422

27 3034 36

4352

58

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Per

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1940 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985

YEARS