美国部分概况2.docx

美国部分概况2.docx

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美国部分概况2

课题

Chapter3FamilyandSociety

Chapter4Government

需2课时

教学目的要求

ThestudentsarerequiredtolearnsomethingaboutAmericanFamilyandSocietyanditsGovernment

教学重点

AmericanFamily,ClassstructureandAffirmativeAction,IndividualismandPoliticalParticipation,SocialSecurityandWelfare,ThreebranchesofAmericanGovernment:

theLegislative,theExecutiveBranch,andtheJudicialBranch

教学难点

ThreebranchesofAmericanGovernment

教案编写日期

10月22日

教学内容与教学过程

提示与补充

I.Revision:

1.saysomethingaboutthegeographicalfeaturesoftheUnitedStates2.saysomethingaboutAmericaneconomicfeatures

II.Newlesson

i.APresentationofthemaincontentslearnedinthisperiod:

Chapter3·Americanfamilystructuresindifferenttimes

·ThechangesofclassstructuresandAffirmativeAction

·IndividualismandParticipation

·SocialSecurityandWelfare

Chapter4

·theLegislative

·theExecutiveBranch

·theJudicialBranch

ii.Explainthemaincontentsindetail:

WordsStudy

SaladBowl沙拉盘，nuclearfamily小型家庭，single-parentfamilies单亲家庭，same-sexmarriage同性婚姻，AffirmativeAction平权措施，reversediscrimination逆向歧视，SocialSecurityAct社会保障法案，Medicare医疗保险，UnemploymentCompensation失业补偿金，Medicaid医疗补助

ThechangesofAmericanfamilystructuresindifferenttimes

Inthe18thandearly19thcentury,thefamilywasaworkingunitPeoplemarryeachotherusuallyforeconomicreasons.Servantsandprenticesalsolivedinthesamehouseandwereregardedaspartofthefamily.

Inthesecondhalfofthe19thcentury,thenuclearfamilyconsistingofthehusbandandwifeandtheirdependentchildrenbecamethemodelformostAmericans.Servantsandprenticesnolongerlivedwiththefamily.Loveandaffectionbecameaveryimportantpartmarriage.

Bythebeginningofthe20thcentury,anidealfamilywassupposedtohaveabreadwinnerhusband,adomesticwife,andtheirchildrenwhoattendedschool.

Thingsbegantochangeinthe1960s.TheenormousmaterialswealthavailabletoAmericansinthe1950sandearly1960sexpandedthemiddleclass.Theidlemiddleclassfamilyisthatthefatherkneweverything,themotherwasalwayscheerfulandloving,andtheirchildrenwererespectfulanddidwellinschool.However,theenormousamountofwealthalsocausedpeopletobelieveinmoreequalityandsocialjustice.ThegenerationgrowingupafterWorldWarIIbegantodemandmoreself-fulfillment.AfricanAmericanswagedtheCivilRightsMovementagainstracialdiscriminationThishadenormousimpactonthefamily:

morewomenbegantotakejobsoutsidehomeandtodevelopcareers.Asaresult,divorceraterosequicklyinthe1970and1980s.ThehighrateofdivorceandseparationleftmanychildrenlivingwithoneparentMostofthesingle-parentfamiliesareheadedbywomenandhavefinancialproblems.ThesizeofaverageAmericanfamiliesisbecomingsmallerandsmaller.Duringthe1960sand2970swhenthesocietyasawholewasconcernedabouttherightsofindividuals,lesbiansandgaysopenlydemandedtheirrightstoberespected,includingtherightsforpeopleofthesamesextolivetogetherandgetmarried.Althoughmostpeoplestillopposesamesexmarriageandmostofthe50stateshavelawsthatbansamesexmarriage,thejudicialbranchisbecomingmoretoleranttowardit.

ClassstructuresandAffirmativeAction

thereasonsfortheestablishmentofAmericanclassstructure

Whenindustrydevelopedinthelatecentury,themiddleclasswasmostlycomposedoftheprosperousurbanworkers.AftertheGreatDepression,theNewDealprovidedextrasocialprotectionforthemiddleclassbyaddingprogramslikesocialsecurityandMedicare.MorethanhalfoftheAmericanpopulationclaimedtobelongtothemiddleclass.

However,fromthelate1970son,thingshavechanges.TheAmericansocietyhasbecomemorepolarizedandthegapbetweentherichandthepoorhasbecomebiggerthaneverbeforebecauseoftheunequaldistributionofthenewwealthcreatedbythetechnicalrevolution.Mostofthewealthcreatedbythetechnicalrevolutionhasgonetoasmallnumberofpeoplewhoownthemachinesandcapital.Asmoreandmoreworkinthemanufacturingindustryhasbeenreplacedbymachinesandcomputers,alargenumberofhighpayingjobsdisappeared.Mostofthenewlycreatedjobsareintheservicesectorthatusuallypayslowwages.Thismeansthatmostofmiddleclasspeoplehavenotbenefitedfromtheincreasingamountofwealthproducedbythenewtechnology.

WealthdistributionintheU.S.isunbalanced.Thetop20%ofthepopulationcontrolsmorethan80%ofthenation’swealth;whilethebottom40%ofthepopulationenjoysonly0.2%ofthewealth.InAmerican,12.7%ofthepopulationfellbelowthefederalpovertyaccordingtothestatisticfromUnitedStatesCensusBureauin2005.

（2）TheClassStructuresintheUSA

·Therichestpeopleareownersofbigbusinesses.Manyofthemarebillionairesandmulti-millionaires.Theymakeupabout1%ofthepopulation.

·Belowthemarethegroupofmanagersandchiefexecutiveofficers（CEOs）ofcorporationsandpublicorganizations.Theirannualincomevariesfromhundredsofthousandstomillionsofdollarsayear.

·Thentherearetheprofessionalssuchasasuccessfuldoctorsandlawyerswhoseannualincomevariesfrom$75,000tohundredsofthousandsayear.

·Belowthisgrouparepeopleofwhatisknownasthenewworkingclasswhoarenurses,teachers,civilservants,smallbusinessowners,andunionizedskillworkers.Theirincomesarefrom$30,000to$50,000ayear.

·About50%ofthepopulationmakeslessthan$30,000ayear.Theyworkinclericalandsalesjobs,personalservices,transportation,orjobswithfactoryassemblylines.

·Atthebottomisthe10%-15%ofthepopulationwhoareunemployedorhavetemporaryjobs.Manyofthisgroupliveinpoverty.

（3）AffirmativeAction

TheU.S.governmenthasimplementedaffirmativeactionpoliciessincethe1970swhichfavorminoritiesandwomeninhiring,promotion,collegeadmission,andtheawardingofgovernmentcontract.

3.IndividualismandPoliticalParticipation

（1）Individualism

IndividualismhasbeenaveryimportantideologyinAmericansociety.Individualismmeansself-fulfillment,self-expression,self-reliance,independenceandresponsibility.

Theinterestgroups

Theinterestgroupsactivelyparticipateinthepoliticalprocess.TheyhavepoliticalActionCommitteeswhichorganizevoterstovoteforcandidatessupportingtheircausesinallkindsofelections.Theyalsohavelobbyiststolobbythegovernmentforpoliciestheylike.Theyusethemediatoadvertisetheircauseandholddemonstrationstoprotestagainstpoliciestheydon’tlike.Theyalsohavegrassrootsorganizationstogettheirmessagetothevoters.Now,politicsinAmericaarenolongercontrolledbypoliticalpartiesthoughthepartiesarethemainplayersinthepoliticalarena.Bothofthemajorparties,theRepublicanPartyandtheDemocraticPartyhavetopayattentiontothedemandsofthemajorinterestgroupsinordertowinelections.

Thedifferencesbetweenthetwoparties

Usually,theDemocraticPartybelievesthatthegovernmentshouldplayaroletopromoteeconomicgrowthbyinvestingineducationandsocialwelfarewhiletheRepublicanPartybelievesthateconomicgrowthcomesnotfromgovernmentinterventionbutfromindividualenterprise.SotheRepublicanPartyusuallyfavorstherichclassbycuttingtheirtaxes.Onwelfarepolicy,theDemocraticPartybelievesthatnopersonwhoworksshouldliveinpovertyandgovernmentshouldgivethemasecondchancethroughwelfare.TheRepublicansbelievethatitistheindividual’sownresponsibilitytotakecareofthemselvesandblamewelfareprogramsforindividual’slackofindependenceandforthebreakdownoffamilies.Oneducation,theDemocraticPartysupportspublicschoolsandopposesschoolvoucherswhichallowpeopletousepublicmoneytogotoprivateschools,whiletheRepublicanssupportschoolvouchers.（为了逐步实现基础教育阶段的“教育公正”，美国自20世纪70年代开始了对“教育券计划”（政策）的论证和可行性研究。

90年代初，一些地方已经以立法的形式确立了教育券制度。

这一制度逐渐被不少西方国家接受，并根据自己的情况作了灵活的调整。

其要点是：

政府发给每位学生一定数额的有价证券（即教育券），以此支付部分学费。

这样，家长可为子女选择任何学校就读，不再受到学区的限制。

而学校将所收集的教育券向政府兑换现金，用以支付办学所需费用。

于是，学校间将会为了争取学生和经费而互相竞争，努力改善教育质量，以符合教育消费者的需求。

教育券政策可分为“无排富性的”和“排富性的”两大类。

前者主要强调选择的自由和促成自由的教育市场以提高教育效益；后者则更关注为社会弱势群体争取平等的受教育机会。

）Ontheissueofabortion,theDemocratsarepro-choicewhichmeansthatwomenshouldhavetherighttochoose,whiletheRepublicansarepro-lifewhichmeanslate-termabortionshouldnotbeallowed.Onhomosexualrights,theDemocratssupportcivilrightsforgaysandlesbianswhileRepublicansopposeit.Generallyspeaking,theRepublicanPartyiscloselyidentifiedwithbigbusinesses,whiletheDemocraticPartyhasthesupportoftheunionsandtheenvironmentalists.Bothpartiestryhardtowinpeople’ssupportinordertowinelectionsandtherighttorunthecountryaccordingtotheirview.

4.SocialSecurityandWelfare

Socialwelfarereferstoprogramsdesignedtoprovideassistanceforpeopleinneedofhelp.ThebasicfoundationsofthesocialwelfaresystemwerelaiddownduringtheadministrationofFranklinD.RooseveltduringtheGreatDepressionofthe1930s.

SocialInsurance

SocialinsurancecontainstheOld-AgeBenefitfortheretired,Medicare,andUnemploymentCompensationprograms.Theseprogramsaresupportedbyasocialsecuritytaxleviedonbothemployersandemployees.EmployeespayacertainpercentageoftheirmonthlyincomeintotheSocialInsuranceTrustFundsandtheemployersmatchthatamount.

TheSocialSecurityTrustFunds

TheSocialInsuranceTrustFundsarerunbythefederalgovernment,whichmanagestheOld-Agebenefitprogramdirectly.Itmailsmonthlypaymentstotheretired,thedisabled,andtheirs