听力chapter4.docx
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听力chapter4.docx
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听力chapter4
UnitTwoTheAmericanCharacter
Chapter4FamilyintheUnitedStates
1.PRELISTENING
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
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