A Comparative Study on Moral Education between Chinese and American Families 英语专业毕业论文.doc

Abstract So far, with the rapid development of the social economy and the practice of examination-oriented system, many Chinese parents pay great attention to intellectual education and neglect moral education. Therefore, that the parents focus too much on intelligence development makes the morality of children tend to the desertification and the adolescent problems emerge one after another incessantly. Family moral education has been the study subject for the scholars. To solve the problem is extremely urgent. The writer does a comparative study and analysis of moral education between Chinese and American families. The contents include the reasons for formulating the notions of Chinese family moral education, such as historical reason and influence by Confucianism as well as American ones such as, influence by religion and individualism. In order to analyze further the difference between the two countries, it also discusses the educational notions, objectives, contents and modes and then puts forward some suggestions to family education, and seeks for solution to remove the malady of Chinese family moral education. Key words: China， America， family moral education 中文摘要 目前,随着社会经济的快速发展和应试教育制度的推行, 许多中国家长都存在 “重智轻德”的现象。家长过于注重智力开发使得孩子的道德趋于冷漠化,青少年 问题层出不穷。家庭道德教育也已经成为许多专家学者研究的对象。解决道德 教育这个问题迫在眉睫。笔者通过对中美两国家庭道德教育，包括受中国历史 和儒家思想影响形成的道德教育观念，美国受宗教和个人主义而形成的观念方 面进行比较和研究，为进一步分析两国家庭道德教育的差异，还对教育目的、 内容和方式做了比较，进而提出对我国家庭教育改革的启示，解决当前中国家 庭道德教育的弊端。 关键词：中国， 美国， 家庭道德教育 A Comparative Study on Moral Education between Chinese and American Families 1. Introduction Family education, in other words, is formative education. It plays a significant role in the development of a childs personality. Children will be imperceptibly influenced by their parents. So far, there are different versions of definitions about family education. “Some domestic scholars define that family education means that parents or other elder educate children consciously at home. Some researchers say that family education is an educational activity, having purpose, conscious.” “In Encyclopedia of China, it says that family education actually happens among the family members, especially parents to children, the elder to the younger.” Family education also includes moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor education. Among them, moral education is the most important and holds pride of place. “The concept of moral education was first used by the Russian scholar, Kewergram at the beginning of 20 century. But, K. Nesoph definite that moral education means the specialized knowledge of the moral phenomenon which is restricted by the social structure and contradiction.”However, with the rapid development of the society, the substantial life of people becomes better and better, while the spiritual life is more and more worrying. Here, there are some statistics. 87% children will contribute their love to the society; 43.5% children can communicate with their parents; 49% think that money is everything; 48% will do housework sometimes. The statistics indicate a big problem of our children. Since the society needs competent people and the examination-oriented education system is adopted in our country, the schools and families have been focusing on childrens intellectual education but moral education is neglected. The schools and parents have been investing an amount of money and time in intellectual education, so that it causes many problems of juvenile delinquency indirectly, such as murder, suicide, robbery, very violent. The crimes emerge in an endless stream. For instance, “a report from Guangming Daily said that a student from No. 4 senior high school in Jinhua city, named Xu Li who was born in a workers family. His father always works outside home, and he lives with his mother. His mother is a worker in some food company. She has been very strict with him. She pinches and scrapes and takes on everything so that her son can study whole-heartedly. However, Xu Lis examination results fell into the eighteenth, and his mother threatened him to work harder next time, otherwise, she would knock hell out of him. Under the circumstances, Xu Li couldnt tolerate such pressure so that he killed his mother with a hammer, when his mother was doing embroidery. ” Further, now most of the young are quite selfish, self-centered. Many of them are indifferent to the mothers-to-be, the elder as well as children when they are in the vehicles. The morality of the young is on the verge of desertification. This issue has been given exclusive attention by the country and society. So it is with the United States. Family is the first place that supplies educational environment for children. Consequently, scholars at home and abroad have been studying on moral education in order to solve the problem. The researches often base on school but not family. To some extent, the results are fruitful, but moral fibre of the young has not improved yet. China and the United States are two totally different countries, with different culture, history background, economic system as well as systems of education and so forth. Consequently, Chinese parents opinions of family education differ from those of American parents, so that their objectives, contents, modes of family education are different. Family moral education in China bases on human relations, while it is on the basis of individualism in the United States. It is worth a lot studying the family moral education of these two countries. Therefore, this paper is for the purpose of discussing the similarities and differences on moral education between Chinese and American families in order to introduce some good aspects from American families to Chinese families, so that Chinese parents can learn something, realize their shortage in education and know the ways of educating children precisely and teach our children correctly. Here, the paper will make the comparisons of moral education, including notion, objective, content as well as mode between Chinese and American families. Meanwhile, it puts forward some suggestions for better family moral education to children. 2. Comparisons of notions of moral education between Chinese and American families The notions between Chinese and American families are different. For Chinese notion, it bases on the emotions, while the American notion is more rational, which emphasizes fairness. 2.1. Notions on moral education in Chinese families Chinese family moral education that is on the basis of emotions emphasizes dedication. Humanity is taken as the core of Confucianism and the intrinsic nobility of motivation of the family members is affirmed and given full play. The correspondence of rights and obligation isnt so important to the moral notion of Chinese. Family members forbear from asking for rights and work for no reward. The parents are indulgent, and the children are filial. Both of them do their duties. They are strict with themselves and lenient towards others. Chinese do their duties not taking their rights first and hoping that others will enjoy the rights while they do their duties and make contributions. It is the basic belief of Chinese families. Therefore, the citizens who are cultivated by Chinese families are dedicated, well educated with a strong sense of obligation and responsibility. 2.1.1 . Reasons for formulation of those notions in Chinese families Notion of family moral education today is not formulated in a short while but influenced by some factors, such as historical reasons and influence by Confucianism. Both play an important role in formulating the notion. 2.1.2 . Historical factors The notion of moral education is also influenced by the historical development, for dynastic changes happen continually in history. The thought of ideologists in different historical periods to some extent exercises a certain influence on the formulation of moral notion. “From South and North Jin dynasties to Sui and Tang dynasties time, Chinese traditional family admonition developed more mature. During this period, some official or emperor work of family moral education came out, such as Yan Parental Instruction or the Emperor Model of Emperor Tangtai Zhong. In addition, the female admonition also became reinforced and Book of Female Filial Piety came out and Female Analects of Confucius closely fellow after it. Further, Chen Family Discipline 33 advocated rewards and punishment. Going to Ming and Qing Dynasties time, it moved towards the fading period prosperously. The family moral education at that time had partial innovation. For instance, the parental instruction of Shang and Jia was valued. The national courage and patriotism were carried forward. However, it reached the peek under the rule of King Kangxi and Yongzheng. Later, the official parental instruction of Zengguo Fan prevailed for a time. But in short, it became dispirited day by day and had and hindered the development of the society. Especially, women became the victims when people accepted the feudal moral theories. The family discipline and clan regulations that were decreed by the national laws came out in abundance. Its punishment was either cruel or detailed. The family discipline at the end of Qing dynasty generally tended to react and would be replaced by revolutionists inevitably. ” Therefore, history has impact on the thought of people and leads them to a certain notion. 2.1.3 . Influence by Confucianism In China Confucianism is extensive and profound, with deep influence on the whole nation. In the educational history of ancient time, Confucian education always lays a leading status. Confucian fairly values the role that moral education plays and put it first place at the aspect of fostering people. Confucian theory of morality is the core of Confucian education. Confucianism advocates the moral education with humaneness and etiquette-orientation. Further, it values several aspects of moral education, such as, filial piety, abidance by the relevant code of conduct and the law, love contribution. Confucianism influences generations from one to another. To this day, it also has a great impact on the notion of family moral education in China. As for moral education, todays parents also put filial piety first. It is very important. 2.2. Notions of moral education in American families As for family moral education, Americans quite emphasize fairness. Unlike China, the notion of moral education in American families is fairly rational, which takes fairness as moral principles. That everything is in line with fairness principles is of morality. Fairness emphasizes quality. It also stresses the unity of rights and obligation. Only when rights and obligation are together and the unity of oppositeness, it is fair. Americans take rights before obligation and stress the tenure of rights as well as the pursuit of freedom, which goes beyond the society, family and even nature. In American families, labor must be paid, including love. Rights and obligation are neither in accord with love or collide with it. Americans pursue both rights and obligation. It is the fairness. 2.2.1 . Reasons for formulation of those notions in American families The notion today of American families is influenced by several factors for a long time and finally formulated. Among them, religion and individualism have the main impact on it. 2.2.2. Influence by religion Religion also plays a great role in family moral education of American, especially Christianity. The influence of Christianity on Americans mainly comes through in culture flied. Such kind of cultural influence works imperceptibly. Its religious culture still influences the ethics and morality of American deeply in daily life and becomes the moral baseline of American. Ten Commandments mentions filial respect to parents, no murder, no homicide, and no stealing, not giving false witness, no clinging to the property and wives of others, no illicit sexual relations and so on. Family moral education is in separable with religious belief. The belief in religious morality and enthusiasm and habits begins in family. Many Americans believe that only those hold God in awe can behave genuinely and squarely, while those who dont fear will be lost in crime finally. Therefore, Americans restrain and standardize their behavior. 2.2.3 . Individualism Individualism is such a kind of social trend of thought and values since the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. It is also a kind of social and political philosophy and moral values. Individualism advocates the value that is people-oriented and emphasizes individual dignity, rights, value, equality and freedom. Individualism exercises a great influence on American daily life. As far as Americans concerned, individual has the highest value and exists without rely on others. Moreover, individual is independent of the family relations. Yet, when individual enjoys freedom and equality, he must do rationally according to the basic principle. Americans safeguard own rights at the same time responsible for other people for principle. American parents respect the rights of children and give them freedom, and believe from beginning to end that children are individual. They have rights to enjoy individual dignity, rights and freedom as well as selection. 3. Comparative processes of moral education between Chinese and American families Although family moral education is not the systematized education and parents are different from qualities, it is the same with school education having educational objectives, contents as well as modes. Among them, the objectives are the starting- point and destiny of the activities of family moral education. Moreover, the contents and modes are fixed according to the objectives. 3.1 . Comparative objectives of moral education between Chinese and American families The objective of family moral education limits the direction and decides the general results. It is the core of family moral education and the basic reason, which causes the differences of moral education between Chinese and American families. The objective is the aim to foster what kind of children with morality by family education. As the objective is fixed, so are the contents and modes. Then, according to the objectives of Chinese and American families, what are the differences of expectations between them of children? American parents aim at educating children to be the “real social human” with social responsibilities, which is useful and adapt to the society and development. Therefore, American parents educate the children easily and stimulate the positive personalities of them to great extent to realize self-values. Under this objective, parents indeed cultivate children the abilities of self-consciousness and independent survival. American children sleep independently after the birth and play by themselves. When they are a bit older, they can have own room and charge it. They do some