FamilyinAmericanCulurebyAnalyzingheMovieBoyhood_开题报告

1.Domestic research status

Most domestic scholars prefer to compare the family culture between the United States and China, and they also study the advantages and disadvantages caused by cultural differences. Through the following literature, we can better understand the research status of family in America culture. In the Comparison of Chinese and Western Families, Meng Chen studies the family social and historical background, the age of the first marriage and premarital sexual behavior, wedding and marriage, divorce and remarriage, family structure, family function, family relationship as well as some problems of the elderly and the development trend of western families.

About how American parents and schools treat their children's puppy love, in How Americans Treat Puppy Love, Wang Xiaochun says there is no such word as puppy love in most Americans’ concepts. The word "puppy love" is unique to China. American parents encourage their children's puppy love, which they think is an important life experience. American teachers don't care about their students' love, and even send condoms to students. Besides, America has its own traditions and cultures, while China has its own. Educators should consider how to benefit the national development.

In Thoughts on the Frequent Moving of Americans, Huang Annian thinks that as long as a large of people continue to immigrate to the United States and the market economy of the United States continues to be active, the situation of the frequent relocation of Americans will not change. Because the American people will not be satisfied with the current situation and America has always retained her pioneering spirit. It is understood that the migration rate of young people living in the United States is much higher than elder people. With the growing number of marriages, childbirth, household population and the gradual expansion of housing area, the residences have to be updated. When children are independent, the housing area is too large for the parents, which is not very necessary. Therefore, elderly often move their houses to some places more suitable for them. So, the changes of age and family size have become the important reasons for the frequent change of habitation. "We Americans have inherited the gene of restless from our ancestors," the American Communication Magazine writes in the article American Identity and Its Impact on the American Education System. We always enjoy sports and change. We are never content with things as they are.

2.Overseas Research Status

What kind of influence will parents have on their children? Research by Mark Cummings, a doctor of the University of Notre Dame, shows that disharmony between parents directly affects children's health and puts them under pressure. Children may experience serious psychological harm if they witness their parents fighting, even have a sharp rise in their blood pressure. Especially for children under 10 years old, it's necessary for parents to do some intimate actions after quarreling, so that children can see that their parents have shaken hands and made peace, and they still love each other. In other words, parents should give their children a hug to let them know that the conflicts and contradictions have been resolved successfully. Language is not enough for a child with elevated blood pressure to return to normal blood pressure. If the child is more than 10 years old, he will learn how to solve the contradictions and conflicts in real life from the process of resolving them by his parents, which is very beneficial to his growth.

In 2017, a three-year cultural study which is conducted by the University of Virginia, shows that four different family cultures were emerging in the United States: moral, optimistic, alienated and American dream type. The number of American dream type’s parents in the United States is the largest, accounting for 27% of the total. These parents have high hopes for their children and try to create the best conditions to cultivate the kids. They will shape their children's personality according to their own wishes, try to protect their children from the external negative factors as well. These parents generally believe that they have a very close relationship with their children, and they strongly hope to be friends with their children. From this result, it seems that American families are not as free as the Chinese people think. American parents also have some demands for their children, but they are usually not very strict. And coexisting with such love in the American family are cultural values of self-reliance and independence.

In her book How to Teach A Qualified Adult, Helms, an educationist who once served as the dean of new students at Stanford University in the United States, quotes the follow-up research results of Harvard University on teenagers. She thinks that if a person participates in housework from childhood, on the one hand, he can learn more life skills. On the other hand, he has cultivated the enterprising spirit, then when he grows up, he will become an active person in the workplace and at home, and he is more likely to become a strong and successful person. In her opinion, parents should avoid over doting on their children and encourage them to try various activities, including housework, which is the right way of education. " According to the research of Harvard University, parents should guide their children to do housework from their childhood, then they will feel that washing dishes is just a part of learning, not a very hard work, and it is only one of the common things that family members should do. Moreover, when children finish their duties, they will think that they have done their responsibilities and contribute their strength to the family," she says. When parents are busy arranging all activities and time for their children to help them prepare for examination, they also deprive children of the opportunity to do and manage something by themselves.

The researchers' follow-up survey shows that children who often do housework regularly build up a sense of responsibility when they are young. They are not only self-reliant in their actions, trustworthy in their words, but also have a good relationship with their family members and friends. What's more, they are satisfied with their life. They can quickly accept that family is a whole. Housework is not a one-sided thing for parents. It should be shared by all people in a family. Only when everyone works together can they be happy. On the contrary, children who do not do housework tend to complain more when they feel terrible.

Whether it's literature or research, it may not be able to analyze the current American family culture thoroughly. Nowadays, it's more directly displayed from the film, which shows the American modern family culture to us more intuitively. The experiences through the screen make people think more actively. For example, the family relationship in Terms of Endearment shows that older women in the United States may not be happy when they know they are going to be grandma. On the contrary, they may think about their age first. It reflects the strong personal consciousness of the Americans. Furthermore, this paper is going to study various cultures in America families by analyzing the movie Boyhood. I think the content embodied in contemporary American films can be regarded as one of the important references to the foreign research on families in American culture.

B. Contents

1 Introduction

1.1 American family values

1.2 Family culture in American movies

2 Introduction to the movie Boyhood

3 Family in American culture by analyzing the movie Boyhood

3.1 The phenomenon of frequent moves

3.2 Love in American culture

3.2.1 The influence of American parents’ marital relationship on their children

3.2.2 American parents’ attitude towards their children’s puppy love

3.3 Emphasis on practical education  

3.3.1 Household participation

3.3.2 A part-time job

3.4 The importance of sports in life

4 Conclusion

C. References

[1] Huo Caiqiao, Yuan Xinfa. A Comparative Analysis of the Differences of Family Education between China and America. Creative Education. 2015.

[2] Li Yuyan, Li Jing. On the Cultural Differences between Chinese and American Families. Modern Enterprise Education. 2007. 01X 175-176.

[3] Yang Xiaoyan. A Probe into America Family Values on the Study of Classical Hollywood Movies. Journal of Anyang Institute of Technology. 2014.13.

[4] Lu Jinkui, Yin Xiaojian, Takemasa Watanabe, Lin Yanmin, Toyoho Tanaka. Physiques in Migrant Peasant Worker's Children by Comparison with Rural and Urban Children in Shanghai, China. Advances in Physical Education. 2014.

[5] American Media: Four Family Cultures are Shaping the Next Generation of the United States. 22 Nov. 2012

<://column.cankaoxiaoxi.com/2012/1122/124051.shtml>.

[6] Joanna L. Grossman, Lawrence M. Friedman. 2011. Inside the Castle. Princeton University Press.

[7] Min Zhengwei, Li Haofeng. The Influence of Cultural Differences on Family Education. Journal of Xinyang Agricultural College. 2008. 02

[8] Romola Dugsin. Conflict and Healing in Family Experience of Second‐Generation Emigrants from India Living in North America. Family Process,2004,

[9] Harry Fernhout. Family Dynamics: Issues in Integral Christian Higher Education in North America. Christian Higher Education. 2002.

[10] Alexis de Tocqueville. 2000. Democracy in America. Bantam Classics.