A Comparative Study of Family Values Between China and America

A Comparative Study of Family Values between China and America Introduction We were born into a family， mature in a family， form new families， and leave them at our death. Family life is a universal human experience. The family is among the oldest and the most fundamental of all human institutions. As we know that family is the miniature of the society， and therefore different family values are the reflections of distinguishing cultures in different countries. In order to get the better understanding of different family cultures between China and America， it is necessary to make a comparison between Chinese and American family values. This paper tries to grope for cultural origins behind those external different family values between China and US. Firstly， this paper makes the comparison between Chinese family value and American family value. Secondly， it illustrates the differences of family values from family structure， family ties. It aims to make a better understanding between Chinese people and American people.

Chinese Family Value vs. American Family Value Chinese culture has been defined as a collectivist culture. In traditional Chinese culture， people attach more importance to their families than they do to themselves. Chinese children are brought up to seek fulfillment with others rather than individually. So we can see that family loyalty is an important value in Chinese culture. As to the relations within a family， the Chinese people emphasize the relation between parents and children， particularly emphasizing children’s love and respect for their parents. Chinese family life is， in reality， the life of filial piety. Individual freedom and equality in American family are ranked the most important place. So the family members are very much like friends. In contrast to Chinese culture， the primary responsibility of the American family member is not to advance the family as a group， either socially or economically. Neither is it