Abstract

As the basic unit of society, family is the basic epitome of the social and economic activities. Family value is always as the core in the research of cultural values. Because family is the original environment of cultural values, behaviors and concepts of family members will be affected by family. Meanwhile family values directly affect family members’ speech and behaviors in society, that is to say, values of the whole society depend largely on family values.
However, different countries have different family values because of the difference of geographical and historical background, religion and belief. China and America also have some different family values. We can not find the perfect unity of family values in America and China, but what we can do is to set up a bridge of communication between these two different family values by some comparative studies. Based on analysis of the Chinese TV series, Golden Wedding, and the American TV series, Desperate Housewives, this thesis compares the differences of family values between China and America. Both of the two TV series centre on family life of the main characters, and have received large audience, reflecting the family values of the two countries in one way or another. Thus they can be employed as materials to analyze the differences of family values between China and America.  By comparing family values between China and America, we could not only better understand the differences of culture values between China and America, but also help people from the two countries overcome cross-cultural barriers, avoid misunderstanding, and enhance communication.

Keywords: family values; marriage; children education; parent-children relations; Golden Wedding; Desperate Housewives

摘要

家庭是社会的缩影，是社会组成的最基本的单位。家庭价值观是文化价值观研究体系的核心。因为家庭是文化价值观形成的最初环境，家庭成员的行为、观念等势必受到家庭的影响。家庭成员的价值观念直接影响着他们在社会中的言语和行为，也就是说整个社会的价值观很大程度上取决于家庭价值观。
但是，由于地理、历史背景、宗教信仰的不同，不同的民族有不同的家庭价值观。中国和美国当然也有不同的家庭价值观。我们不能奢求中美两国家庭价值观的完美统一，只能通过对比研究，在两种截然不同的家庭价值观之间架起一座沟通的桥梁。本文正是以美剧《绝望主妇》和国产剧《金婚》为研究素材，对中美家庭价值观的差异进行了对比分析。这两部电视剧都围绕着主人公的家庭生活展开，并获得了较高的收视率，在一定程度上反映了两个国家的家庭价值观。因此可以作为素材来分析中美家庭价值观的差异。通过中美家庭价值观的对比研究，不仅可以使人们更好地了解中美两国文化价值观的差异，还帮助两国人们克服跨文化交流障碍，避免误解，加强沟通。

关键词：家庭价值观；婚姻；孩子教育；亲子关系；《金婚》；《绝望主妇》