美国人的价值观 英文.docx

美国人的价值观 英文.docx

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美国人的价值观英文

Readings#1---Whatisculture?

Withoutculture,andtherelativefreedomitimplies,society,evenwhenperfect,isbutajungle.Thisiswhyanyauthenticcreationisagifttothefuture-AlbertCamus

Cultureisanintegralpartofeverysociety.Itisalearnedpatternofbehaviorandwaysinwhichapersonliveshisorherlife.Cultureisessentialfortheexistenceofasociety,becauseitbindspeopletogether.Intheexplicitsenseoftheterm,cultureconstitutesthemusic,food,artsandliteratureofasociety.However,theseareonlytheproductsofculturefollowedbythesocietyandcannotbedefinedasculture.

AccordingtoEnglishAnthropologistEdwardBTaylor,cultureisthatcomplexwholewhichincludesknowledge,belief,art,law,morals,custom,andanyothercapabilitiesandhabitsacquiredbymanasamemberofsociety.

Cultureissomethingthatapersonlearnsfromhisfamilyandsurroundings,andisnotingrainedinhimfrombirth.Itdoesnothaveanybiologicalconnectionbecauseevenifapersonisbroughtupinaculturedifferentfromthatinwhichhewasborn,heimbibesthecultureofthesocietywherehegrowsup.Itisalsonotahiddenfactthatsomepeoplefeeltheneedtofollowthebeliefsandtraditionsoftheirownculture,eventhoughtheymightbenotsubscribingtocertainideologieswithin.

Cultureisacomplextoolwhicheveryindividualhastolearntosurviveinasociety.Itisthemeansthroughwhichpeopleinteractwithothersinthesociety.Itactsinasubconsciouswayandwhateverweseeandperceive,seemstobenormalandnatural.Sometimes,othersocietiesandpeopleseemtobealittleoddbecausetheyhaveadifferentculturefromours.Wemustrememberthateverysocietyhasadistinctculturethatformsthebackboneofthesociety.Culturedoesnotremainstagnant,ontheotherhanditisevolvingconstantlyandisinfactsomewhatinfluencedbytheotherculturesandsocieties.

Everysocietyhasadifferentculture,wherepeopleshareaspecificlanguage,traditions,behaviors,perceptionsandbeliefs.Culturegivesthemanidentitywhichmakesthemuniqueanddifferentfrompeopleofothercultures.Whenpeopleofdifferentculturesmigrateandsettleinanothersociety,thecultureofthatsocietybecomesthedominantcultureandthoseoftheimmigrantsformthesubcultureofthecommunity.Usually,peoplewhosettleinothernationsimbibethenewculture,whileatthesametimestrivetopreservetheirown.

Althougheverysocietyhasaspecificculture,therearecertainelementsofculturethatareuniversal.Theyareknownasculturaluniversals,inwhichtherearecertainbehaviouraltraitsandpatternsthataresharedbyallculturesaroundtheworld.Forinstance,classifyingrelationsbasedonbloodrelationsandmarriage,differentiatingbetweengoodandbad,havingsomeformofart,useofjewelry,classifyingpeopleaccordingtogenderandage,etc.,arecommoninallculturesoftheworld.

Somepeoplebelievethathumansaretheonlylivingbeingswhohaveaculture.But,thereisagroupofpeoplewhobelieveintheexistenceofcultureeveninanimals.Itissaidthatanimalshavecertainsocialruleswhichtheyteachtheiryoungonesasamediumforsurvival.

Cultureisnecessarytoestablishanorderanddisciplineinthesociety.Itisnotonlyameansofcommunicationbetweenpeople,butalsocreatesafeelingofbelongingandtogethernessamongpeopleinthesociety.

ByDeepaKartha

Afteryouread

Culturehidesmuchmorethanitreveals,andstrangelyenoughwhatithides,ithidesmosteffectivelyfromitsownparticipants.Yearsofstudyhaveconvincedmethattherealjobisnottounderstandforeignculturebuttounderstandourown.

----EdwardT.Hall

DoyouagreewiththequotationbyEdwardT.Hall?

Dopeoplereallynotunderstandtheirownculture?

Whataspectsofacountry’sculturearethehardesttounderstand?

Readings#2---TheValuesAmericansLiveBy

byL.RobertKohls

MostAmericanswouldhaveadifficulttimetellingyou,specifically,whatthevaluesarethatAmericansliveby.Theyhavenevergiventhemattermuchthought.

EvenifAmericanshadconsideredthisquestion,theywouldprobably,intheend,decidenottoanswerintermsofadefinitivelistofvalues.ThereasonforthisdecisionisitselfoneveryAmericanvalue—theirbeliefthateveryindividualissouniquethatthesamelistofvaluescouldneverbeappliedtoall,orevenmost,oftheirfellowcitizens.

AlthoughAmericansmaythinkofthemselvesasbeingmorevariedandunpredictablethantheyactuallyare,itissignificantthattheythinktheyare.Americanstendtothinktheyhavebeenonlyslightlyinfluencedbyfamily,churchorschools.Intheend,eachbelieves,"IpersonallychosewhichvaluesIwanttolivemyownlifeby."

Despitethisself-evaluation,aforeignanthropologist