Abstract:In this thesis, the author tries to analyze the differences between Chinese and American on fostering kids from the cross-cultural perspectives in order to understand the cultural differences between Chinese and Americans in family concepts. The reason for Chinese parents fostering children is mostly to continue the family line and to provide for them when they are old, whereas the reason why American parents foster children is mainly that the kid is lovely and it is natural to have a baby. The different concepts of fostering children incarnate the different family values between Chinese and Americans, which root in the cultural differences between Chinese and Americans. Just as Chinese Confucianism and Daoism play an important role in forming Chinese value system, Americans take religion -- Puritanism and individualism as American value system. By analyzing the root of Chinese culture, we learn that Confucianism takes kindred as a basis, that the family is a living cosmos in Chinese heart and filial piety incarnate in peacetime life. As to Puritanism doctrine, it gestates individualism, and individualism makes American ignore filial piety, which is important in Chinese tradition. Therefore, in China, fostering children is the obligation and responsibility of society and family, while the motivation of fostering children in America is interest and self-freedom. This thesis is to study the concepts of the family through the Sino-US differences by comparison, to find out the advantages and disadvantages of their families’ value concepts in each culture backgrounds, to analyze the reason, and to learn from American’s advantages to offset our weakness.
Key words: concept of fostering children; family value; Confucianism; Puritanism Doctrine; individualism
中文摘要:本文作者尝试从跨文化视角去分析中美养儿观念的差异，了解中美文化差异在家庭价值观中的体现。中国父母养儿的理由主要是传宗接代和养老，而美国父母养儿的理由主要是孩子很可爱，生孩子是很自然的事。两种不同观念体现了中美两国家庭价值观的差异，植根于中美文化差异。正如儒家思想和道教对于中国传统文化的影响，清教思想和个人主义对美国人的思想有着深刻的影响。通过分析，儒家思想以家族为本位，认为家是生活的宇宙，孝主要体现在平时的生活中。清教思想孕育了个人主义，个人主义使美国人没有中国传统的孝顺思想。所以，中国父母养儿的目的在于社会和家族的义务和责任，美国父母养儿的目的在于个人的自由,幸福和兴趣。本论文的研究是想通过中美家庭观的差异进行对比阐述，指出在各自文化背景下其家庭观的优缺点，分析其中原因，以期使中国能取长补短，完善自身的体制。
关键词：养儿观念；家庭价值观；儒家思想；清教思想；个人主义
