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1、美国文化第二讲TraditionalAmericanValuesandBeliefsI.ThecontextoftraditionalAmericanvalues:racial,ethnic,religious,andculturaldiversityGreaterdiversityofracial,ethnic,culturalandreligiousgroupsthananyothercountry–nativeAmericansthroughoutthecontinent,SpanishsettlersintheSouthwestandFlorida,
2、FrenchmissionariesandfurtradersalongtheMississippi,blackslavesfromAfrica,DutchsettlersinNewYork,GermansinPennsylvania,andtheBritishcolonists,whosecultureeventuallyprovidedthelanguageandfoundationforthepoliticalandeconomicsystemsthatdevelopedintheUS.Culturaldiversityorculturalplural
3、ismToday,thereismorerecognitionofthevalueofculturalpluralism(asastrength)thanatanyothertimeinthehistoryoftheUS,thoughsomemaynotbeenthusiasticaboutorevenmaybefrightenedbyit.NationalidentityHowcananationofsuchenormousdiversityproducearecognizablenationalidentity?JohnZogby,anAmericanp
4、ollster,says:whatholdstheUnitedStatestogetheristhat“weallshareacommonsetofvaluesthatmakeusAmerican….Wearedefinedbytherightswehave….Ourrightsareourhistory,whythefirstEuropeansettlerscameandwhymillionsmorehavecomeheresince.”Thelandofopportunity,attractingmillionsofimmigrantsfromallov
5、ertheworldTheopportunitiesandexperiencestheyhadtherenurturedasetofvalues:chanceforindividualfreedom,equalityofopportunity,andmaterialwealth,withthepricestobepaidforthese–self-reliance,competition,andhardworkII.IndividualFreedomandSelf-RelianceByfreedom,Americansmeanthedesireandther
6、ightofallindividualstocontroltheirowndestinywithoutoutsideinterferencefromthegovernment,arulingnobleclass,thechurch,oranyotherorganizedauthorities.Individualfreedom–themostbasicvalue,attractingmillionsofimmigrantsTheearliestsettlerscametoescapecontrolbykings,governments,priests,chu
7、rches,noblemenandaristocrats.TheConstitutionseparatedchurchfromstate,forbadetitlesofnobilitySelf-Reliance–apricetobepaidforindividualfreedomTocquivilleobserved:“Theyowenothingtoanyman,theyexpectnothingfromanyman;theyacquirethehabitofalwaysconsideringthemselvesasstandingalone,andthe
8、yareapttoimaginethattheirw
