Abstract

    Family education is the educational influence which parents initiatively exert on their children’s growth and development and is also the most important aspect of systematic education. The differences existing in cultural traditions, values, historical backgrounds and social economic levels between China and America lead to differences in family educational modes, aims and parentages between the two countries. This paper attempts to analyze the differences between Chinese and American family educations and related cultural factors, so as to provide some enlightenments for the reform of China's family education and the cultivation of future generations of high quality.

Key words: China and America, family education, difference, cultural factors, enlightenment

摘 要

家庭教育是父母对子女的成长发展所主动施加的教育影响，家庭教育是系统教育中最重要的一个环节。中美两国由于在文化传统、价值观念、历史背景、社会经济发展水平等方面存在诸多不同，导致了两国在家庭教育方式、教育目的和亲子关系上也存在着很多差异。本文试图通过分析中美两国家庭教育间的差异及造成这些差异的文化因素，为中国的家庭教育改革和培养高素质的下一代提供一些启示。

关键词： 中美；家庭教育；差异；文化因素；启示

1. Introduction
Education is not only a social behavior, but also a primary way of transmitting culture and experience. Family education is the earliest and most important kind among all the education modes. It plays an important role in children’s forming process of the thinking model and world outlook.
Family education refers to the instructions which parents or elders give to the children or adolescents in a family. It's an important part of the educational system, family education, school education and social education constitute the three major forces of education. However, family education can never be replaced by school education or social education. Children are under the circumstances of family education since they were as well born.