听力chapter4Word文档格式.docx

听力chapter4Word文档格式.docx

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B.VocabularyandKeyConcepts

1.Ahundredyearsago,oneheardthesamecommentsaboutthefamilythatonehearstoday—inshort,thattheAmericanfamilyisdisintegrating.

2.Proofofthisdisintegrationincludedevidencethatwomenwerenotcompletelycontentwiththeirdomesticrole.

3.Tothecontrary,theverynatureofthefamilyhaschangeddrasticallyinthelastfiftyyears.

4.Tobesure,thefamilyisaverysensitivebarometerforwhatishappeninginthesociety.

5.Demographically,thepredominantconfigurationofthefamilywasthetraditionalone.

6.Thecountryidealizedthefamilyintheseyears：

thereWasacommitmenttothefamilyandareverenceforit.

7.Threecharacteristicsstandoutinthisperiod：

conformitytosocialnorms,greatermaledominationofthefamily,andclear-cutgenderroles.

8.Thesedecadeswerecharacterizedbyalackofconformitytosocialnormsandincludedthesexualrevolutionandthewomen’sliberationmovement.

9.Anotherimportantmovementwasthedriveforself-expressionandselffulfillment.

10.Thenewconfigurationofthefamilyhadtoincludefamiliesofcohabitingcouples,withorwithoutchildren.

11.Thenumberofsingle-parenthouseholdstripled,andthenumberofunmarriedcouplesquadrupled.

12.Theyseeacontinuingdeclineindivorceratessincethe1980sbutalsoadeclineinbirthratesafteraninitialincreaseinthe1980s.13.Thereisanattempttobalanceworkwithfamilyobligations,andconcernseemstobeshiftingfromindividualismtothenewfamilism.14.Placesofworkmayoffermoreflexibleworkinghoursandon-sitedaycare.

15.Foritspart,thegovernmentcouldmandateparentalleaveandfamilyallowances.

.LISTENING

LECTURE：

FamilyintheUnitedStates

Ahundredyearsago,oneheardthesamekindsofcommentsabouttheAmericanfamilythatonehearstoday—inshort,thattheAmericanfamilyisdisintegrating.Proofofthisdisintegrationattheendofthenineteenthcenturyincludedthreepoints：

thedecliningbirthrate,arisingdivorcerate,andevidencethatwomenwerenotcompletelycontentwiththeirdomesticrole.It’salittlesurprisingtomethatthesameclaimaboutthefamilyisbeingmadetodaythatitisdisintegrating.Andoftenthesamepointsarementionedasproof:

decliningbirthrates,increasingdivorceratesanddiscontentofwomenwithdomesticroles.Now,innowaydoImeantoimplythatcultural,demographic,andeconomicconditionsarethesamenowastheywere100yearsago.Onthecontrary,theverynatureofthefamilyhaschangeddrasticallyinthelast50years,nottomentionthelast100years.ButIdon’tthinktheaverageperson’sconceptofthefamilyhaschangedverymuchovertheyears.Alotofpeoplehaveonefixedideaofthefamily：

amarriedcouplewhereMotherstayshometocareforthechildrenandFatherworks.ButthisideaischallengedbywhatweseeeverydayinU.S.society.Tobesure,thefamilyisaverysensitivebarometerforwhatishappeninginthesociety,theculture,andtheeconomyoftheUnitedStates.Tomakethispointclearer,we’lltakealookathowtheAmericanfamilyhaschangedinthelast50yearsbylookingatthreedifferenttimeperiods：

therearethemid-1940stothemid-1960s；

themid-60stothemid-80s;

andfinallythepresent.SociologistBarbaraDafoeWhitehead1abelsthesethreeperiodstheperiodoftraditionalfamilism,theperiodofindividualism,andtheperiodofthenewfamilism.Iwilltryforeachperiodtoshowhoweconomic,demographic,andculturalelementsinteractand,inturn,affectthefamily.

Well,let’sproceedinchronologicalorderandstartwithtraditionalfamilism.We’retalkinghereofthetwentyyearsfromthemid-1940stothemid-1960s.ThiswastheperiodafterWorldWarII,aperiodcharacterizedbyaverystrongeconomy.ThisgavetheUnitedStatesarisingstandardoflivingandagrowingmiddleclass.Demographically,thepredominantconfigurationofthefamilyfromtheseyearswasthetraditionalone:

amarriedcouplewithchildren.Somewomenworked,butdivorcerateswerelow,andbirthrateswerehigh.IguessyoucouldsaythatthecountryidealizedthefamilyintheseyearsandwhatImeanistherewasacommitmenttothefamilyfromitsmembersandareverenceforitfromsociety.TVprogramsoftheeradepictedthefamilyintheclassicalconfiguration:

workingfather,housewife,andchildren.Culturally,threecharacteristicsstandoutinthisperiod：

cordormitytosocialnorms,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,themovementsIhaveinmindarethesexualrevolution,inwhichsexwasclearlynolongerreservedformarriage;

thewomen'

sliberationmovement,andthemovementagainstthewarinVietnam.Allthreemovements—thesexualrevolution,woman’sliberation,andtheantiwarmovement—weretypicalofthenonconformingnatureofthesedecades.Now,culturally,itisinthisperiodwhereweseetwoimportantdevelopments:

one,theidealizationofone'

scareerandworkand,two,thedriveforself-expressionandself-fulfillment.Inthisperiod,thefeministmovementchallengedtraditionalgenderrolesandmaledominationofsociety.Womenbegantoenterprofessionspreviouslyclosedtothemlikemedicine,law,andmanagement.Men,fortheirpart,beganatleasttoconsideramoreactiveroleinraisingtheirchildren.

Theseculturalchangesoccurredduringatimeofeconomicchanges,too.Thiswasatimeofrapidlyrisingcostofliving.Together,theseforceschangedthedemographicsofthefamily.Theformerpictureofmefamilyhadonlyoneconfiguration：

amarriedcouplewithchildrenwhereMotherstayedhome.Thenewpictureofthefamilyhadtoincludenewconfigurations,likefamiliesinwhichthehusbandandwifebothworked,familiesofsingleparentswithchildren,andfamiliesofcohabitingcoupleswithorwithoutchildren.Withmorewomenpursuingcareersandmakingmoney,therewaslesseconomicpressureforthemtostayinanunsuitablemarriage.Therefore,divorceratesdoubledinadecade.Risingdivorceratesandmorefinancialindependenceforwomenmademarriagealessattractivearrangementformanywomen.Consequently,thenumberofsingle-parenthouseholdstripled.Lessconformitytosocialnormspavedthewayforcohabitation.Sothenumberofunmarriedcoupleslivingtogetherinthisperiodquadrupled.Canyouseenoweconomic,cultural,anddemographicaspectsofthesocietyinteractwitheachother?

Ihopeso.Well,let'

scontinuewithouragenda.

Thethirdperiod,thenewfamilism,ishardertoseebecausewearelivinginthisperiodnow.AndbecauseweareconstantlyinformedbythemediaaboutthedeterioratingAmericanfamily,it’shardtogetallobjectiveviewofthestateofthefamily.Ithinkthattodaymostpeopleapplaudthesocialchangesthatcameaboutinthesecondperiodofindividualism.Theyarenotwillingtogiveupgenderequality,thefreedomtoleaveanunsuitablemarriage,ortheself-fulfillmentofaninterestingjob.Atthesametime,mostexpert,ifnotmostpeople,admitthatchildrenpaidahighpriceforthesocialchangesthattookp1aceinthesecondperiod.Itwasthechildrenwhospentlongdaysindaycareorafter-schoolhourshomealonewhilebothparentsworked.Anditwasthechildrenwhogrewupwithonlyoneparentorwithstepparentsinmanycases.

SomeexpertsseechangesoccurringnowinU.S.society,changesthataffectthefamily.Theyseeacontinuingdeclineindivorceratessincethe1980sbutalsoadeclineinbirthratesafterallinitialincreaseinthe1980s.Thedeclineindivorceratescouldbeduetofamilies'

betterfinancialsituations.Despitethedeclineindivorce,aquarterofU.S.childrentodaylivewithonlyoneparent.Thebirthrateisprobablydecliningbecauseanincreasinglifespanresultsinfewerwomenofchildbearingage.Amoreencouragingreasonisthereductioninunmarriedteenpregnancies.Expertsalsoreportanattemptbypeopletobalanceworkwithfamilyobligations,especiallythecareofchildren.Theyseetheindividualismofthemiddleperiodchangingsomewhat,theconcernseemsinmanycasestobeshiftingfromone’scareertoone’sfamily,fromindividualismtothenewfamil