【专八Minilecture】美国家庭(2/5)

英语自学网

专八interview,选自《星火英语2013专八满分听力》第三专题.
        由于放假原因，星火的听力书没有带回来，这期只采用听写全文的方式，这期结束以后将采用冲击波系列材料。
Second, the emphasis on individual freedom.
Americans view the family as a group whose primary purpose is to advance the happiness of individual members.
The result is that the needs of each individual take priority in the life of the family. In contrast to that of many other cultures,the primary responsibility of the American family member is not to advance the family as a group,
either socially or economically,nor is it to bring honor to the family name. This is partly because the United States is not an aristocratic society. Family name and honor are less important than in aristocratic societies,since equality of opportunity regardless of birth is considered a basic American value. Moreover, there is less emphasis on the family as an economic unit because the American family is rarely self-supporting. Relatively few families maintain self-supporting family farms or businesses for more than one generation. A farmer's son, for example,
is very likely to go on to a college,leaving the family farm,
and taking an entirely different job in a different location.
The American desire for freedom from outside control clearly extends to the family. Americans do not like to have controls
placed on them by other family members.They want to make independent decisions and not be told what to do by grandparents or uncles or aunts. For example, both American men and women expect to decide
what job is best for them as individuals. Indeed, young Americans are encouraged by their families to make such independent career decisions. What would be best for the family is not considered to be as important as what would be best for the individual.