AMERICAN CULTURE CHAPTER 1 UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURE OF THE UNITED STATES ❖ LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES Two important facts about America + The immensize of the United States ➢ Ex • It is difficult to c.
AMERICAN CULTURE CHAPTER 1: UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURE OF THE UNITED STATES ❖ LIFE IN THE UNITED STATES - Two important facts about America: + The immensize of the United States ➢ Ex: • It is difficult to comprehend the size of the country until you try to travel from one city to another If you got in a car in New York and drove to Los Angeles, stopping only to get gas, eat, and sleep, it would take you four or five days It takes two full days to drive from New York to Florida + Ethnic diversity (people from many different places)- the most important factor influencing American Life ➢ Ex: • All Americans, except Native who were living on the North American continent when the first European settlers arrived, came from foreign countries • In the 1500s, Spain established settlements in Florida, California, and the Southwest, and France claimed large territories in the center of the North American continent • From the 1600s to the birth of the United States in 1776, most immigrants to the colonies that would form the United States were from northern Europe, and the majority were from England It was these people who shaped the values and traditions that became the dominant, traditional culture of the United States ❖ A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS ➢ 1815: Population was 8.4 million ➢ 1900s: Population was 35 million immigrants, including 40,000 Chinese ➢ 1907: There were 30,000 Japanese immigrants ➢ 1908: Israel Zangwill write a play in which he used the term melting pot ➢ 1910: Almost 15% (14,8%) of all Americans had been born in another country ➢ 1924: The immigration act ➢ 1965: Allowing groups of refugees from countries, including Viet Nam ➢ Between 1990 and 2010: the number of foreign-born living in the United States almost doubled from 20 million to 40 million, with about one- third arriving since 2000 ➢ By the year 2010, about 13% of all Americans were foreign born ➢ According to the 2010 census, for the first time there were more Asian immigrants than Hispanic ➢ 2011: For the first time, there were more minority babies born than white majority babies ➢ Between 2040 and 2050: the white majority will probably fall below 50% sometime - Melting pot: The term is used to describe the mixing of different races and cultures in America - Despite this, two things are certain: + The dominant American culture has survived + It has more or less successfully absorbed vast numbers of immigrants at various points in its history - During the last half of the twentieth century, the U.S lifted immigration restrictions from time to time (1921) - The Immigration Act of 1924 put a quota on the number of immigrants that could come from each country- it favored people from Northern and Western Europe - This system was used until 1965, when immigration began to rise again (including illegal immigration) - In the twenty-first century, the number of new immigrants have begun to approach the percentages of the early twentieth century - 12 states and nation’s capital had even higher percentages of foreign-born residents: CA (27%); NW and NJ (each over 21%); Florida and Nevada (each over 19%), Hawaii and Texas (each over 16%); Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, and the District of Columbia (each over 13%) - States have the largest numbers of immigrants: California (27%), New York and New Jersey (each over 21%) - Today, fewer immigrants are coming from Europe - The descendants of early European settlers have inter-married with other cultures - They no longer identify with their “home” country (think of themselves as Irish or German or English) - In the early 2000s, more than half of all new immigrants were from Latin America, resulting in large concentrations of Spanish speakers around the country (California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and other southwestern states) - Hispanic now represent the largest minority in the US (16%), larger than the number of African Americans (13%) - Many of these people speak Spanish as a first language - The number of Hispanic-Americans will probably continue to grow because many of them are young adults and children However, the number of new Hispanic immigrants has declined ➢ In 2000, they made up more than 50% of all new immigrants, but the number fell to about 30% in 2010 - Because of the poor economy, a number of immigrant residents returned to their home countries in Latin America Due to tighter border restrictions, the number of illegal immigrants fell, and the total population of Hispanics living in the United States may have actually declined - The immigrants from Asian countries are also contributing to the new American mix - Today, more than 35 percent of all first-generation immigrants are from Asia, and they now make up about 6% of the total population of the United States - Already, several states and many of the nation's largest cities are "majority minority." (more than half of the population are members of minority groups.) ❖ CULTURE PLURALISM - Culture pluralism is the principle that different cultures can live together peacefully in the same society - This means that immigrants keep their own cultures, but are still considered “American” - Establishing communities of bilingualism and biculturalism ➢ Ex: In California, for example, the test for a driver's license is given in more than thirty different languages - Cultural pluralism is more accepted in the United States today than it was in the first half of the twentieth century, and some school systems have bilingual programs and multicultural curricula - Even though, many Americans maintain their ethnic heritage, the number of interracial marriages is increasing ➢ Ex: The 2008 election of Barack Obama, the first African-American president President Obama is actually bi-racial, the son of a white mother and a black father, a native of Kenya His ethnic heritage includes an Irish great, great, great grandfather who immigrated to the United States in 1850 + By the middle of the century, the nation will probably no longer have a white majority; some say the color of most Americans will be beige, or light brown, as a result of the mixing of races and ethnic groups - In the US, most people are very sensitive to the language used to describe racial and ethnic groups, and they try to be politically correct, or "P.C For example: + Some black Americans prefer the term African-American instead of black to identify with their African heritage + The terms Native American and American Indian are used interchangeably by those native to the North American continent, while some self-identify by tribe (Navajo, Hopi, and so forth) + Some Spanish speakers prefer to be called Latinos (referring to Latin America) instead of Hispanics (referring to Spain), while others prefer to be identified by their country of origin (Cuban-American or Cuban, Mexican-American, Chicano, or Mexican, etc.) - In spite of all this diversity, there is still a tie that binds Americans together That tie is a sense of national identity-of being an American - When citizens of the United States refer to themselves as Americans, they have no intention of excluding people from Canada or Latin American countries - There is no term such as United Statesians in the English language, so people call themselves Americans ❖ MAKING GENERALIZATIONS ABOUT AMERICAN BELIEF Some cautions - Not all Americans hold these beliefs Believe these things to the same degree - The ways of practicing their beliefs may also differ resulting in a great variety of lifestyles - Our mission: define and explain the traditional, dominant cultural values that have attracted immigrants to the United States for so many years American values and what they really are - We focus on describing the cultural values – the cultural engine of the country - They defined the US and caused people from all over the world to embrace the way of life and eventually to define themselves as “Americans.” - We can learn from Alexis De Tocqueville He is a Frenchman as well as a famous observer + Tocqueville came to the US in 1831: The 1830s was: • a time before America was industrialized • The era of the small farmer, the small businessman, and the settlement of the western frontier • The period of history when the traditional values of the new country were being established • In just one generation, the new form of government had already produced a society of people with unique values ➔ This period was a favorable element for him to write the book + After the process of observation in just months, he wrote a remarkable book called Democracy in America + This book described: the democratic system of government , how it operated, and how its effect on how Americans think, feel and act + Many of these traits of the American character are still visible and meaningful today And many Americans still take pride in them now + On the other hand, Tocqueville was a neutral observer and saw both the good and the bad sides of these qualities Our book: American Way: An introduction to American culture -Not about cold facts about American behaviors or institutions -About those traditional American beliefs, values, and character traits + Motivating forces behind the people and their institutions + How these traditional basic beliefs and values affect important aspects of American life: religion, business, work and play, politics, the family, and education ➔ We have an opportunity to test these descriptions by making our own observation Studying others helps us learn about ourselves AWL Words - Convinced: made someone think that something is true - Reveals: show something that was hidden - Culture: ideas, beliefs, and customs - Quota: a limit on the number allowed - Minority: a group of people whose race is different from that of most people in a country - Neutral observer: someone who makes decisions based on facts, not personal feelings - Identity: the qualities that a group of people have that make them different from other people - Distinct: clearly different or separate - Aspect: one part of an idea that has many parts - Category: group of things that all have the same qualities - Concept: an idea - Debate: a discussion of different opinions - Establish: to start something that will continue - Estimate: to judge by calculating and guessing - Hypothesis: an explanation that is not yet proven - Incidentally: by the way - Institution: large organization, especially one dedicated to public service - Survive: to continue in spite of difficulties - Unique: one of a kind - Vary: to be different Collocations: established communities neutral observer significant factor working hypotheses legal immigrants, industrialized countries cultural pluralism dominant culture CHAPTER 2: TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES AND BELIEFS ❖ THE CONTEXT OF TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES: - The US has great diversity, but it also has a national identity - They share a common set of values - The set of values: + Individual Freedom and Self-reliance + Equality of opportunity and Competition + Material Wealth and Hard Work ❖ INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AND SELF-RELIANCE - Being free from the controls that existed in European societies - Early colonists came to America to escape the controls placed on many aspects of their lives by kings and governments, priests and churches, noblemen, and etc - British colonists declared independence in 1776 - In 1787, when they wrote the Constitution for their new nation, they separated church and state so that there would never be a government supported church - In writing the Constitution they expressly forbade titles of nobility to ensure that aristocratic society would not develop - The historic decisions made by those first settlers had a profound effect on the shaping of the American character - By limiting the power of the government and the churches and eliminating formal aristocracy, the early settlers created a climate of freedom where the individual was the most important - Individual freedom (i.e you can anything you want to do) is the most basic American value - Freedom: the desire and the right of all individuals to control their own destiny without outside interference from the government, a ruling noble class, the church, or any other organized authority - This “freedom” has attracted many immigrants to America - The price for individual freedom is self-reliance - Americans believe they should take care of themselves and solve their own problems - Most Americans believe that they must be self-reliance in order to keep their freedom (i.e if you rely on someone else, you don’t have any freedom.) - Sometimes, people are forced to rely on others - This is generally not a long term arrangement (Ex: If adult children return home to live with their parents because of economic conditions or a failed marriage, most members of the family expect this to be a short-term arrangement.) - Being too reliant on others means a loss of freedom, and sometimes a loss of respect - Even when dependent on others, people must ‘appear’ to be self-reliance - They must take responsibility for themselves - Financial support (charity, welfare) to those in need is generally for a short time only, and it is generally not admired ❖ EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY AND COMPETITION - Immigrants have always come for equality of opportunity- the belief that everyone should have an equal chance to succeed - People are free from excessive political, religious, and social controls - One reason is the lack of a hereditary aristocracy - Because titles of nobility were forbidden in the Constitution, no formal class system developed in the US - Many people believed that in their native countries, their social class would determine how successful they could be - In America, they would not have to compete with rich and powerful noble families - Many immigrants were very successful in the US- regardless of their background - This leads to the idea of equality of opportunity (each individual has an equal opportunity for success) - For them, equality means that everyone should have an equal chance to enter the race and win In other words, equality of opportunity may be thought of as an ethical rule - An “ethical” rule (similar to “fair play”) is an important aspect of the belief in equality of opportunity - The price for equality of opportunity is competition - Americans see life as a race to succeed- with winners and losers - Americans believe that since they all have the same opportunity to succeed, they have a duty to try - Pressure of competition is part of all Americans’ lives - Competition is encouraged at an early age (especially in sport) - Americans are under a lot of pressure to compete throughout their working lives - When they retire, many lose their prestige* and respect (*prestige: the respect and importance that a person, organization, or profession has) - People who don’t compete well are seen as misfits ❖ MATERIAL WEALTH AND HARD WORK - Immigrants have traditionally come for material wealth-the chance for a higher standard of living because America has very abundant natural resources- and was seen as a “land of plenty” - Many improved their own lives or the lives of their children - The phrase “going from rags to riches” became a slogan for the “American Dream.” - Material wealth becomes a value to the American people - Placing a high value on material possession: materialism (“Materialism”- to place a high value on material possessions: cars, jewelry, etc,…), but this is a word that most Americans find offensive - Americans not like to be called materialistic because they feel that this unfairly accuses them of loving only material things and of having no religious values - Why acquiring and maintaining a large number of material possessions is still of great importance to most Americans ? → Material wealth dictates social status in the absence of hereditary aristocracy or titles of nobility → Quality and quantity of possessions became a measure of success - The price for material wealth is hard work It took a lot of hard work to develop and profit from the abundant natural resources of the US - Material possessions were seen as a natural reward for hard work, and as an indicator of someone’s ability - Most Americans still believe in the value of hard work, but it is becoming more common for people to receive welfare - Today, it is more difficult for an average American to become very wealthy because of changes in the economy (industry-based economy → service-or information-based) and many wonder what has happened to the traditional American Dream - As the US competes in the global economy, many workers are losing their old jobs and finding that they and their family members must now work longer hours for less money and fewer benefits - They have become the “working poor” workers with a low standard of living - Many employers no longer provide benefits (health insurance etc) to their workers ❖ AMERICAN VALUES AND THE STATE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM - The American Dream: + Has traditionally meant that by working hard, parents can enable their children to have a better life when they grow up + The ideal of the American Dream: If people work hard, they and their children can have a better life - Many Americans believe that with hard work their dreams of success can happen - American values are more of ideals and not the reality of America These values are not always put into practice - Values such as equality of opportunity and self-reliance are ideals that may not necessarily describe the reality of American life - The fact that American ideals are only partly carried out in real life does not diminish their importance - Most Americans still believe in them and are strongly affected by them in their everyday lives - Even though many of the traditional values are ideals that may not describe the reality of American life, they still influence almost every facet(*) of American life (facet: one of several parts of someone’s character, a situation, etc) - Two things about American values: + Cultural values; they are the cultural engine that drives the United States and continues to power a nation where people from all over the world come and become "American." + Putting these six values together into a system creates something new - The relationship among these values - the rights and the responsibilities - creates the fabric of the American society It is this fabric(*) that defines the American Dream (fabric: basic structure and way of life) SUMMARY: These values not tell the whole story of the American character Rather, they form the basic structure or framework of the American culture AWL Words: individual one person, considered separately from the group achieve to succeed in getting the result you want benefit something that gives advantages or improves life in some way reliant being dependent on someone constitution a set of basic laws and principles that a democratic country is governed by ethical relating to principles of what is right and wrong resources a country's land, minerals, or natural energy that can be used to increase its wealth status social or professional rank or position in relation to others welfare money paid by the government to people who are very poor, sick, not working, etc 10 foundation a basic idea or principle 11 pursuit the act of trying to achieve something in a determined way 12 self-evident easily noticed or understood; obvious 13 inalienable that cannot be taken away from you 14 endowed given a good quality 15 accumulate to gradually get more and more money, possessions, or knowledge over a period of time 16 authority the power you have because of your official position 17 convert to change from one form, system, or purpose to a different one 18 diminish to become smaller or less important 19 eliminate to get rid of something completely 20 energy the physical and mental strength that makes you able to be active 21 ethic a general idea or set of moral beliefs that influences people's behavior and attitudes 22 financial relating to money 23 fundamental of central and underlying importance 24 global relating to the whole world 25 promote to help something or someone advance and be successful 26 shift to move from one place or position to another CHAPTER 8: ETHNIC AND RACIAL DIVERSITY IN THE US ❖ MELTING POT OR SALAD BOWL - The population of the United States includes a number of different ethnic groups coming from many races, nationalities, and religions - The process by which these many groups have been made a part of a common cultural life with commonly shared values is called assimilation - "Melting pot" where various racial and ethnic groups have been combined into one culture - "Salad bowl" where the various groups have remained somewhat distinct and different from one another, creating a richly diverse country - Since 1776 many groups have been assimilated, but many also remain separate (some of these are bicultural – American but with distinct language/culture) - Many settlers arrived in the US before it was the US (especially Hispanics) and want to maintain their traditions and language (Spanish) - Most white Europeans have been completely assimilated into “American culture” exceptions are American Jews – who have tended to remain separate ❖ THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DOMINANT CULTURE - The first census of the new nation, conducted in 1790: ~4,000,000 White ~20% African Americans (700,000 slaves and about 60,000 "free Negroes.") - Only a few Native Americans who paid taxes were included in the census numbers, so there is no accurate count of the total Native American population - The white population had more people, money, and power – so defined the dominant culture – White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASPs) - However, many people now consider this an insulting term Those having a different religion (such as the Irish, Catholics), or those different languages - European groups (English, Irish, German,…Dutch…) intermarried and mingled with little thought of any difference - In the late 1700s, assimilation of minority white groups occurred without great difficulty - Dominant culture was therefore: + English speaking + Western European + Protestant + Middle class - Immigrants with similar characteristics were welcomed – had the same basic values ❖ THE ASSIMILATION OF NON-PROTESTANT AND NON-WESTERN EUROPEANS - Groups that were more like the dominant group were more readily accepted - Groups that were very different were often seen as a threat to American values and way of life - Many Immigrants from the southern and Eastern Europe arrived during late 19th century: + Usually poor + Didn’t speak English + Catholic or Jewish - Many Americans feared these new Americans would change America in undesirable ways - Americans therefore gave English instruction and citizenship classes to teach American beliefs - Many immigrants felt that this was not much help - What they really wanted were jobs, food, houses - “Political Bosses” were more helpful to immigrants – in exchange for their votes - However, many bosses were seen as: + Corrupt (dishonest): they often stole money from the city governments they controlled and engaged in other illegal practices , and destroying American values + Destroying American values such basic American values as self-reliance and competition - The bosses, it seemed, were teaching the immigrants to be dependent on them rather than to rely on themselves - The bosses were "buying" the votes of the immigrants in order to give themselves a monopoly of political power in many larger cities → This practice destroyed competition for political office which Americans viewed as an important tradition in politics just as it was in other facets of American life - Many scholars believe that the political bosses performed an important function in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries - who helped to assimilate large numbers of immigrants - As immigrants improved their standard of living, they came to accept most of the values of the larger American culture and were in turn accepted by it - Therefore white ethnic groups tend to feel more American and less of their ethnic background than other groups (Irish, Italian, Polish, etc) ❖ THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE - Non-white ethnic groups have not been so easily assimilated - African Americans have had the greatest difficulty, they also brought to America against their will – sold as slaves - Other ethnic groups came voluntarily- most as immigrants who wanted to better their living conditions - Slavery was a complete contradiction to American values of Freedom and Equality of Opportunity - It divided the US into the North (chose to make slavery against the law) and the South (black slavery – basis of economy) - A minority of whites in the North insisted that slavery and freedom could not exist together in a free country and demanded that slavery be abolished, even if this meant war with the South - Most Northern whites were against slavery because they feared they could not compete with unpaid slave labor - Abraham Lincoln was able to become president of the US by appealing to both the white idealistssaw slavery as an injustice to African-Americans and to the larger numbers of northen whites- saw slavery as a threat to themselves - When Lincoln won the presidency in 1860, the southern states left the Union and tried to form a new nation of their own based on slavery → This lead to A Civil War (1861-1865) between the North and South resulted: The Northern States won and black slavery ended in the US - Although slavery was abolished, attitudes toward African Americans were slow to change, especially in the South + Not allowed to vote and were segregated from whites (separate schools) + Inferior education + Poverty cycle - Although conditions were much worse in the segregated South, blacks continued to be the victims of strong racial prejudice in the North as well ❖ THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OF THE 1950s AND 1960s - This state of affairs remained unchanged until after World War II - Over one million African Americans had served in segregated units during the war - In 1948, President Harry Truman ordered that the military be fully integrated - In 1954, the US , Supreme Court declared that racially segregated public schools are illegal - Thurgood Marshall, Chief Counsel for National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) argued the case before the court - In 1967, he became the first African-American Supreme Court Justice - Martin Luther King Jr – wanted greater assimilation of black people - Malcolm X – wanted separation of blacks from white culture - Malcolm X disagrees with Martin Luther King that black people should be assimilated into the larger American society - The civil rights laws of 1960s: • Employers and universities actively seek black workers and students • The number of African Americans held elective public office • There is now a sizable black middle class • There are a number of wealthy African Americans • In 2008, Barack Obama became the first black American president ❖ DIVERSITY IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY - The civil rights movement benefited not only African Americans, but all minorities in the United States-American Indians, Hispanics, Asians, and others - The civil rights laws also advanced the rights of women, and these laws have reinforced the ideal of equality of opportunity for all Americans - On the other hand, Americans continue to believe strongly in the ideal of equality of opportunity and to search for ways to give everyone an equal chance at success - The American Dream still attracts immigrants and inspires people of all races and ethnic backgrounds In reality, some immigrant groups have more success than others - History shows that immigrants who come with financial resources, a good educational background, and the necessary work skills are likely to the best + Ex: immigrants from the Middle East tend to have a higher socioeconomic level than the average white American - However, studies show that the second generation does significantly better than the first - Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice, is an inspiring example of the success some Hispanic Americans have achieved - Today, immigrants with all kinds of backgrounds and skill levels find their way to the US ❖ A UNIVERSAL NATION: - The dominant culture and its value system established by the early settlers, having its roots in white, Protestant, western Europe - In the late 1800s and early 1900s, millions of immigrants came from eastern and southern Europe, bringing cultural traditions perceived by the dominant culture as quite different - By the 1920s, Americans had decided that it was time to close the borders to mass immigration, and the number of new immigrants slowed to a trickle* (trickle: a movement of people or things into a place in very small numbers of amounts) - Despite the worries of the dominant culture – immigrants did not radically change American values, but enriched the cultural diversity of the nation - In 1965 changes were made to immigration laws that allowed more immigrants into the US, and removed bias toward European immigrants - The United States now takes in large numbers of new immigrants who are non-white and nonEuropean The majority are from Asia and Latin America - The United States will be described not as a "melting pot" or a "salad bowl," but as a "mosaic"-a picture made up of many tiny pieces of different colors AWL Words: abolish to officially end a law or system assassination the murder ofan important person civil rights rights that every person should have corrupt dishonest registration recording names on an official list inspire to encourage someone to achieve something great legacy a situation that exists as a result of things that happened at an earlier time mingle to meet and talk together mosaic a picture made by fitting together small pieces of colored stones, glass, or paper obliterate to destroy something so that nothing remains trickle a movement of people or things into a place in very small numbers or amounts victim someone who suffers bad treatment bias have an opinion about whether something is good or bad that influences how you deal with it construction working on new buildings despite even though something else exists or is true discrimination the practice of treating a person or group differently from another in an unfair way documentation official papers that are used to prove that something is true eliminating getting rid of something completely function job inclined influenced toward a particular action or opinion integrated have all the races together, not segregated process a series of actions residential relating to homes somewhat more than a little, but not very CHAPTER 9: EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES ❖ THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN AMERICA: TOCQUEVILLE’S OBSERVATIONS - Educational institutions in the United States reflect the nation's basic values, especially the ideal of equality of opportunity- everyone deserves an equal opportunity to get a good education - When Americans established their basic system of public schools in 1825, they reaffirmed the principle of equality by: + Making schools open to all classes of Americans + Financing the schools with tax money collected from all citizens - Those who favored public schools believed that these institutions would help reduce social class distinctions in the United States by educating children of all social classes in the same "common schools" - When Tocqueville arrived in the United States in 1831, he found a great deal of enthusiasm about the new and growing public elementary schools - Tocqueville at first thought universal education would be a danger to society - However, he saw it to be in harmony with American customs - Tocqueville also noted that American public education had a strong practical content that included the teaching of vocational skills and the duties of citizenship - American Public Schools expanded to include high schools, colleges and universities (undergraduate, graduate) ❖ THE EDUCATIONAL LADDER - Preschool programs (age or 4) - Kindergarten (age 5) - Elementary school (5-6 years) - Middle school (2-3 years) - High school (4 years) - After high school, the majority of students go on to college - Undergraduate studies lead to a bachelor's degree, which is generally what Americans mean when they speak of a "college diploma." - The bachelor's degree can be followed by: + Professional studies – law, medicine + Graduate students – master's and doctoral degrees - Students may also receive an associate degree in vocational or technical fields for two years of study at a community college - The educational ladder concept: Basing on equality of opportunity and on “working your way to the top” - In the US, there are no separate public educational systems with a higher level of education for the wealthy and a lower level of education for the masses There is one system that is open to all - About 10% choose to attend private schools: + The majority of these are religious schools that are associated with particular churches and receive financial support from them + A major purpose of these schools is to give instruction + Parents who live in large cities may send their children to Catholic or other religious schools because they believe that these schools are safer and have higher academic standards than the public schools - There are also some elite private schools that serve mainly upper-class children: + Students must pay such high tuition costs that only wealthier families can afford them + Parents often send their, children to these schools so that they will: o associate with other upper-class children o maintain the upper-class position held by their parents o getting a good education - Elitist private schools conflict with the American ideal of equality of opportunity: give an extra educational and social advantage to the young people whose families have the money to allow them to attend - Attending a good private school does give students an advantage when competing with public school graduates for admission to the best universities in the nation - Inequality in the American education system - Because of the way that schools are funded, the quality of education that American students receive in public schools varies greatly - The largest percentage of the money for schools came from the local level (cities and counties), primarily from property taxes - School districts that had middle-class or wealthy families had more tax money to spend on education - Today, the states pay the largest amount for funding elementary and secondary schools, and the federal government pays an average of 10% of the cost - Although the amount of money spent per child is not always the best indicator of the quality of education the child receives, it certainly is an important factor ❖ ATTENDING A AMERICAN UNIVERSITY - Money is also increasingly a factor in receiving a college education → All university students must pay tuition - The cost of an education is rising much more rapidly - Wealthy students have more choices because tuition is much lower at public universities than at private ones - There are a number of financial aid programs in the form of loans and scholarships available at both public and private schools + About 80% of college students have some form of student aid - However, the expenses of purchasing books and living far away from home make it more difficult for students to attend even the less expensive public schools - The majority of students must work during their college years to help meet costs - Most young people graduate from college with significant debt from student loans - A growing number of students cannot afford to go away to college and pay tuition and living expenses for a public or private university → They choose instead to attend community college programs for two years in their hometowns - Most Americans seeking a college education continue to grow (~3,000 different colleges and universities to choose from.) - Higher-paying technical jobs and lower-paying jobs requiring limited skills - In the STEM fields include: science, technology, engineering and math offer high salaries -> employment is excellent - While graduate degrees in 'nonprofessional' fields such as literature, art, music, history, or philosophy is not as great - New trend is the growth of MOOCs ❖ EDUCATING THE INDIVIDUALS - American schools emphasize on “critical thinking skills” rather than “raw facts” - Students are encouraged to ask questions, think for themselves, express opinions in class – American values of individual freedom and self-reliance - The goal of the American education system is to teach children how to learn and to help them reach their maximum potential - Development of social and interpersonal skills through “extra-curricular activities” Grades in high school courses and scores on tests – SAT are very important, but also the extracurricular activities - Some Americans consider athletics – competitive sports such as football, basketball, baseball and soccer; the most important of all extracurricular activities - Teaching students the “winning spirits” - Student government is another extracurricular activity designed to develop competitive, political, and social skills in students - Students who are elected will take the responsibility for a number of student activities is seen as good experience in developing leadership and competitive skills even to become responsible citizens - There are clubs and activities for almost every student interest – art, music, debate, foreign languages, photography, volunteer work – helping students be successful in later life - Parents watch children’s extracurricular activities with interest and concern as they their children’s intellectual achievements in the classroom ❖ THE STANDARDS MOVEMENT - In general, American students did not perform as well in math, science, and other subjects as students from many other developed countries - However, since the 1990s, both the state and the federal government have become more involved in determining school standards - To ensure that standards are met, the federal government now requires annual testing in reading and mathematics in most elementary and middle grades; states also may require students to pass a series of examinations in such subjects as reading, writing, mathematics, and civics before they can graduate from high school ❖ INEQUALITIES IN THE AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM - Public schools were clearly unequal between the black and the white - The method of the busing of school children was conducted - The discrimination is still active in educational environment ❖ THE INCREASING RESPONSIBILITIES OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS - Americans place the weight of many ideals, hopes, and problems on public schools - The education of new immigrant children provides the public school system with challenges - The gap between elite Americans and the rest of students is increasing - It is obvious that children who are not native speakers of English are going to be at a disadvantage when taking standardized tests ❖ TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY CHALLENGES TO AMERICAN EDUCATION - Many parts of the country, African Americans could not attend public schools - Local schools reflect residential patterns where there is significant segregation - There has always been an effort for standards and the diversity of ethnic AWL Words harmony agreement, working together erased got rid of something so that it did not exist anymore status social position regard think about eventually finally means a method or system achieved gotten, reached seek look for conflict disagreement or argument 10 academic relating to education 11 indicator sign 12 sector part, area, or segment 13 violate disobey or something against 14 justify to give a reason for something 15 predominantly mostly or mainly 16 concentration large amount of something in one place 17 maximum largest possible 18 assessed had a judgment made after careful examination