AMERICAN CULTURE

UNIT 1: IMMIGRATION AND DIVERISITY IN THE UNITED STATES

I. Melting Pot or Salad bowl:
The population of the US includes a large variety of ethnic groups coming from many races,
nationalities, religions => made a common cultural life with commonly shared values
=> assimilation
‒ Melting Pot: where various racial and ethnic group 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, an enormous amount of racial and ethnic assmiclation has taken place in the US ->
some groups feel strong sense of separateness from the culture as a whole.
‒ Bicultural: they consider themselves American, but also wish to retain the language and cultural
traditions of their original culture (feeling of ethnic pride).

II. The Establishment of Dominant Culture:

‒ In 1790, the first cencus of the new nation was conducted: 4 mililion people, most were white.
‒ The white population had: the greater numbers, money, political power in the new nation
‒ Immigration Wave History:
+ 1st wave: Germany, England, France (north western european countries)
‒ The dominant American culture: WASP (White Anglo – Saxon Protestant): English in origin,
Protestant, middle classin character, English-speaking, Western European.
‒ Immigrants with these characteristics were welcome because American belived that these
newcomers would give strong support to the basic values: freedom, equality of opportunity, the
desire to work hard for a higher material standard of living…

III. The Assimilation of Non-Protestant and Non-Western Europeans:

‒ Although immigrants who were like the early settlers were accepted, those with significantly
different characteristics tended to be viewed as the threat to the traditional American values and
the way of life. (TRUE during the late 19th and 20th centuries)
‒ Americans were fearful of the new flood of immigrants:
+ These people were accustomed to lives in poverty and dependence => not understand
traditioncal American values.
+ They might even change the basic values in undesirable ways.
‒ American offered English instruction for the new immigrants and citizenship classes:
+ American teachers disaproved of the traditions of their homeland.
+ Learning about the values gave them little help in meeting their important needs such as employ
ment, food, a place to live.
 MORE CHALLENGING TO ASSIMILATE
‒ MORE HELPFUL AND ESIER TO THE NEW IMMIGRANTS THANKS TO
“POLITICAL BOSSES” of the larger cities of the northeastern US (where most of immigrants
first arrived):
+ In exchange for their help: the immigrants keep in power by voting in elections.
+ Many Americans strongly disapproved of political bosses: corrupt (tham nhũng); seem to be
destroyed basic values as self-reliance and competition; teaching the immigrants to be dependent
on them; buy the votes -> give themselve a monopoly of political power in many larger cities
+ Despite the criticism, PBs performed an important function in the late 19 th and early 20th
centuries.

IV. The African-American Experience:

‒ Of the nonwhite ethnic groups: American of Africa descent has the greates difficulty in
becoming assimilated into the larger culture; were brought to the US to be sold as slaves.
‒ The enslavement of African-Americans in the US was complete contradiction of such traditional
basic values (freedom, equality of opportunity)
‒ Divided the US into 2 different sections:

The southern states The northern states

+ Black slavery became the basis of the + chose to make slavery against the law
economy (chế độ nô lệ là nền tảng của nền (chế độ nô lệ chống lại luật pháp)
kinh tế) + Because the minority in the northern think slavery
+ Economy depends on farming and stuff, and freedom couldn’t exist together in a free country
therefore they need people to do the work like the US. While the majority doesn’t care about
-> slavery was supported the right for black people who are being slaved,
but they think black slavery will affect their economy.

‒ Abraham Lincoln won the presidency in 1860, by appcalling to both the white idealist and the
northern whites who saw slavery as an injustic to A-As and as a threat to themselves.
‒ The southern states left the Union, formed a new own nation based on slavery.
 A CIVIL WAR resulted -> the bloodiest and most destructive of all the nation’s wars.
 The North was victorious, black slavery ended in the US.
‒ SEGERATION:
‒ The A-As were note readily assimilated into the larger American culture:
+ They were not allowed to vote
+ Black children were not allowed to attend whilte public school, received a inferior education.
+ Blacks continues to be the victims of strong racial prejudice in both the North and South.
 V. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s – 1960s:
‒ In 1954, the US Supreme Court declared that racially segerated public school did not provide
equal educational oppotuinities for blacks => illegal.
‒ Blacks leaders were greatly encourage by this decision and decided to try to end racial segregation
in all areas of America life.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Malcolm X

- Christian, a black Protestant minister
- From the late 1950s: led thousands of A-As - Became a leader of the “black Muslim” faith (1930).
in nonviolent marches and demonstration - Urged a rejection of basic American values and
against segregation and forms of racial complete separation of blacks from the white culture.
discrimination.
- Goals: bring about greater assimilation of
black people into the larger American culture, - Goals: He believed that Americans values were
want greater equality of oppotuinity, gain a nothing more than “white man’s values”, keep blacks
larger part and “Freedom now” for his people. in a inferior position – the blacks must separate
- His assassination by a white gunman in 1968. themselves from whites (by force if necessary) and
build their own society based on their own values.
- Howerver, most A-As continued to look to King
as their leader.

‒ As a result of King’s activities, 2 major civil rights laws were passed during the 1960s
‒ Removed racial segregation from public facilities in the South & the barriers that prevented
blacks from voting in that region.

VI. Race Relations after the Civil Rights Movement:

‒ GOOD NEWS: The Civil rights laws of the 1960s helped to bring about a significant degree of
assimilation of black into the largers American culture:
+ Reduce the amount of white prejudice toward blacks in all parts of the country
+ In the late 1960s and 1970s: the number of A-As atteding nation’s colleges and universities,
holding elective public office and earning high incomes DRAMATICALLY INCREASED.
+ In 1984 and 1988, Jesse Jackson – a black leader – became the first A-A to run for president of
the US – not win, but received significant nation attention and influenced the policies of
Democratic party.
+ The A-As are mayors of majors cities and members of Congress, holds office in all levels of
government,… (General Colin – the first A-As senior military leader in the US)
 + There is a sizable black middle class and wealthy A-As.
‒ BAD NEWS: There is still a distance between the races
+ The income of blacks is low.
+ Many black people are trapped in poverty, unemployment, violence and despair in the inner
city, the most frequently victims of violent crimes.
+ Over 40% of all black children live in poverty and have only one parent (dad or mom).
+70% black children are born to unmarried women

V. A Universal Nation:
‒ In the late 1800s and early 1900s, millions of immigrants came from eastern and southern
Europe, bring the cultural traditions perceived by the dominant culture as quite different.
‒ By the 1920s, decided to close the borders to mass immigration => the number of new
immigrants slowed to a trickle.
‒ 1965, the US allowed many more immigrants to come and entirely eliminated the older laws’
bias in favor of white European immigrants.
‒ A new challenge: a large numbers of new immigrants are nonwhite and non-European, 90%
from Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean; the significant numbers of illegal immigrants.
‒ Ben Wattenberg – an expert on America culture:
+ Believe that the “new immgration” will be a great help to the nation: It is becoming the
first universal nation in history.
+ The US will be the first nation where large numbers of people from every region on earth
live in freedom under one government.
* MOSAIC: a picture made up many tiny pieces of different colors; colors. If look closely, the
individuals of different colors and ethnic groups are still distinct and recognizable, but together
they can create a picture that is uniquely America.
‒ The motto of the US: “Out of many, one” – means one composed of many.
 UNIT 3: TRADITIONS OF VALUE AND BELIEFS
I. The context of Traditional American Values: Racial, Ethnic, Religious, and Culture Diversity:
‒ As the 21st century begins, the US probably has a greater diveristy of racial, ethnic, culture and
religious groups than any other nation on earth –> provided the language and the foundation for the
poilitical and economic systems
‒ Most American recognized this diversity, or pluralism, as a fact of life.
‒ Historically, the US has been viewed as “the land of opportunity” attracting immigrants from all over
the world.

II. Individual Freedom and Self-reliance:

1. Individual Freedom:
‒ The earliest settler came to the North American wanted to escape the control placed on their lives by
kings and governments, priest and churches, noblemen and aristocrats => succeeded
+ 1776, the British colonial settlers declared their independence from England and established a new
nation – the US of America – overthrew the king, the power in the hands of people.
+ In 1789, the wrote the Constitution for their new nation – separated church and state – never be a
government-supported church – limited the power of church – fobade titles of nobility, esure an
aristocratic would not develop.
 The US came to be associated in their minds with the concept of individual freedom.
+ Scholars and outside observes – individualism
+ American – freedom – the most respected popular word

2. Self-reliance:
‒ A price to be paid for individual freedom.
‒ This means:
+ Achieving both financial and emotioncal independence from parents as early as possible (18 or 21)
+ Take care of themselves, solve their problems
+ “Stand on their own two feet”
‒ If they rely too much on the support of families and government or any organization – lose freedom
to do what they want, the respect of their peers – bad example which may weaken the American
character as a whole.
‒ American believe that they must be self-reliant – keep their freedom.
‒ Even if they are not truly self-reliant – must at least appear to be so – to be in mainstream of
American life, to have power and respect
‒ Beggars, the plight of homeless – sympathy but also concern.
 III. Equality of Opportunity and Competition:
1. Equality opportunity:
‒ In America, immigrants have felt that because individuals are free from excessive political religious
and social controls and the titles of nobility were forbidden in the Constitution.
‒ In "the old country", their place in life was determined largely by the social class into which they
were born.
 Many immigrants chose to leave the older European societies and believed that they have a
better chance to succeed in America.
‒ In the 1830s, de Tocqueville visted the US – was impressed by the great unifornity of conditions
of life in the new nation – “…equality of condition is the fundamental fact from which all others
seem to be derived”
‒ Equality of opportunity – an ethical rule – everyone should have an equal chance to enter the
race and win – ensure that the race for success is fair (not win just because of being born into a
wealthy family or lose because of race or religion).

2. Competition:
‒ A price to paid for equality of oppotuinity.
‒ If much of life is seen as a race, a person must run the race in order to succeed and compete
with others.
‒ If everyone has an equal chance to succeed in the US, it is every person’s duty to try.
‒ The pressure of competition – begin in childhood and continue until retirement from work.
‒ Competition successfully is a part of growing up in the US (ex: progams of competitive sports)

POSITIVE EFFECTS NEGATIVE EFFECTS

- American match their energy and intelligence - The pressure places a constant emotional strain
against others in a compettitive contest for success: on them.
+ People who like to compete and are more - When the older retire, they may feel unwanted and
successful than others, are honored as the useless in a society that gives so much prestige to
WINNERS. those who compete well.
+ People who don’t like to compete and are not ‒ New problems arises: may feel unwanted and
successful are often dishonored by being useless in a society that gives so much prestige to
called LOSERS (for men, becoming more and those who compete well.
more true for women) ‒ Older people in the US don’t have much honor
and respect as they have in other less competitive
societies.

 Any group of people who do not compete successfully – do not fit in to the mainstream of
American life
 IV. Material Wealth and Hard Work:
1. Material wealth:
‒ The third reason – raise their standard of living
‒ The US – “land of plenty”– abundant natural resources - where millions could seeks fortunes.
‒ Immigrants did not “get rich over night” – suffered terribly, but able improve the former stardard
of living – even if not able to achieve the economic success they want, fairly their children would
have oppotuinity for better life.
‒ “Going from rags to riches” – a slogan for the great American Dream
*Material prossession:
‒ Acquiring and maintaining a large number of material prossession is of great importance to
most American.
‒ Material wealth – measure of social statur in the US – Americans rejected the European system
of here ditary aristocracy and titles of nobility – find another substitute for judging
‒ The quality and quantity of individuals material prossession is accepted.
‒ The Puritan work ethic associated material success with goliness.
(Đạo đức làm việc của người Thanh giáo gắn liền thành công vật chất với sự thánh thiện)
2. Hard work:
‒ A price to paid for material wealth.
‒ Has been both necessary and rewarding for most Americans throught their history.
‒ By hard work - people came to see material prossessions as natural reward.
‒ Material prossession – tangible evidence of people’s work and their abilities
‒ In the lates 1700s. Jame Madison – the father of the American Constitution, stated that the
difference in material prossession reflected a difference in personal abilities.
‒ The shifted form an industry-based economy to servie or information based –> high-paying jobs
for factory workers declined -> people no longer believe that work hard brings material rewards.
* Idealism and reality:
‒ American values are ideals that may not necessary decribe the reality of American life.
‒ For example, equality of opportunity is an ideal that is not always put into practice.
‒ In reality, some people have better chance to success than others:
+ People who are born into rich families > poor families
+ Blacks have < opportunities than the average whites.
+ Women have < opportunities that men
+ Fewer opportunities for immigrants
 UNIT 4: GOVERNMENT
‒ The three separate branches – power
‒ The US has 2 parties: The Democrats and the Republicans
1. Legislative or lawmaking branch (nhánh lập pháp)
‒ The legislative or lawmaking branch of government is called the Congress (Quốc hội).
‒ Congress has 2 houses:

The Senate (thượng viện) The House of Representatives (hạ viện)

+ With 2 Senators (thượng nghị sĩ) from each + Consisting of 435 Representatives (dân biểu)
state regardless of its size divided among the 50 states by population
+ Each state has equal reprentation + States with large populations have more
+ Has the total of 100 senators for the whole the representatives that states with small population
U.S. + Elected every 2 years.
+ Elected every 6 years.

2. Executive branch (nhánh hành pháp):

‒ The president, or chief excutive, heads the excutive branch – carry out the laws.
‒ Supported by vice president and the cabinet.
‒ Elected every 4 years.
3. Judical branch (nhánh tư pháp):
‒ The Supreme Court and lower national courts make up the judical branch.
‒ settles disputes about the exact meaning of the law through court case.

4. A system checks and balances:

‒ The national gorvernment is divided into three separate branches.
‒ If one of the three branches starts to abuse its power – the other 2 join together and stop it.
‒ The Constitution is most powerful in balancing the powers of the legislative and executive
branches of the government – 2 most powerful branches – gives each of these enough power to
prevent the other from acting on its own.

5. Election:
‒ The president and both houses of Congress have almost complete political independence from
each other - are chosen in separate elections
+ The election of the Congress does not determine who will be elected president.
+ The presidential election does not determine who will be elected to either House of Congress.
‒ It is quite possible in the American system to have the leader of one political party win the
presidency while the other major political party win most of the seats in Congress.
 6. VETO – RATIFY law:
‒ It is necessary for the president to sign bills passed by the Congress - become law.
‒ If the president vetoes a legislative bills passed by Congress - refuse - the bill died unless 2/3 of
both the House and Senate vote to override the veto.
‒ A treaty with a foreign government signed by the president dies if the Senate refused to ratify it -
votes to accept it.

The American system of divided government powers strikes as inefficient and disorganized,
most American still strongly believe – 2 reasons:
+ Able to meet the challenges of the past
+ Give strong protection to individual freedoms

7. Bills of Rights:
‒ is another statement of the American belief in the importance of individual freedom.
‒ is designed to protect specific individual rights and freedom from government interference.
‒ The guarantees:
+ The government may not interfere with an individual's freedom of speech or freedom of
religious worship.
+ The right of a fair criminal procedure for those accused of breaking laws
 UNIT 6: FAMILY
I. Family Structure:
2 types of family structures:
+ nuclear family: husband, wife and their children
+ extended family: like immediate family adding with aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents are
considered
‒ The structure of the American family has undergone enormous changes since 1950s.
‒ Traditionally, the American family has been a nuclear family - a husband, wife and 2 children - living
in the house or apartment – “classic” American family
+ The father – breadwinner – earn money, support family
+ The mother – homemaker – take care of the children, not work outside
+ 2 children under the age of 18
‒ Grandparents never living the same house with their married sons and daughters and uncles and aunts
almost never do.

What has happened to the traditional american family and why?

‒ In the 1950s, men who had fought in World War II had returned home, married, and were raising
their families => a substantial increase (or "boom") in the birth rate
 producing the "baby boomers”.
‒ Today, young people are marrying and having children late, some choose not to have children.
‒ People are living longer after their children are grown, and they often end up alone.
‒ The high rate of divorce

II. The Emphasis on Individual Freedom:

‒ Americans view the family as a group whose primary purpose is to advance the happiness of
individual members - the needs of each individual take priority.
‒ The primary responsibility of the American family member is not to advance the family as a group
and bring honor to the family name (less important – equality of oppotuinity)
‒ Few families maintain self-supporting family farm or businesses more than 1 generation.
‒ The American, especially young people:
+ desire for freedom from outside control, do not like to have controls by family members.
+ want to make independent decisions (about jobs), are encouraged by families
 What would be the best for the family is not considered to be as important as what would be
best for the individual.
III. Marriage and Divorce:
1. Marrige:
‒ Marriage are not “arranged” in the US
+ Young people are expected to find a husband or wife on their own - no help, little control, not
much influence from parents until decided to marry.
‒ Americans believe that young people should fall in love and then decide to marry someone
they can live happily with – evidence of the importance of an individual's happiness – does not
always happen, but remains the ideal.
‒ The marriage value => Happiness is based primarily on companionship.
‒ Values: economic support, the opportunity to have children – important, but are seen as less
important

2. Divorce:
‒ The couple is not happy – may choose to get a divorce – easy to obtain in most parts of the US.
‒ “no-fault” divorce – a couple states that they can no longer live happily together, have
“irreconcilable differences” – neither partner’s fault.
‒ The divorce rate rose rapidly after the 1950s, leveled of by the 1990s.
‒ Unhappy couples should not stay married just because having children – children may be better off
living with one parent than two (arguing) – are not embarrassed to say.
‒ Most people do not believe in sacrificing individual hapiness for the sake of the children.
‒ Divorce is now so common – no longer socially unacceptable.

IV. Equality in the Family:

‒ Since the early of 1960s, parental authority and children’s respect for their parents declined.
‒ Some parents seem to have little or no control over the behavior of theỉ teenager children – after
turn 16 and get drivers’ licenses
‒ American give their yound people a lot of freedom – want to teach them to be independent and self-
reliant to grow up – they are expected to “leave the nest” at about age 18, after graduate from high
school.
‒ “Boomerang kids” – young people unable to find jobs, choose to move back in with parents for a
time – left the nest once but are now back again.

VI. The Role of the Family in Society:

‒ American families are less stable and lasting than those of most cultures – the high rate of divorce
‒ The American attitude toward the family contains many a contradictions – tolerate a good deal of
instability in their Americans – protect values (freedom, equality)
‒ Strongly attached to the idea of the family as the best all lifestyles – person who get divorces finds
new partner and remarry.
+ “Step/ Blended families”: the parents may each have children from a previous marriage and then
have one or more children together –> stressful relationship, complicated –> fail.
‒ A number of single parents – are divorced or never married – live with granparents for economic
and emotional support.

UNIT 7: LEISURE TIME

I. Sports and American Values:

‒ Sports orgamized by a society generally reflect basic values of that society – attemp to strengthen
them in the minds emotions of its people.
‒ 3 most popular sports: football, basketball, baseball
‒ Individual sports: tennis, golf
‒ More serious social purpose than spontaneous (unorganized play by individuals)
‒ The ways and words of democracy were illustrated in sports
‒ Socialogist Harry Edwards - Americans view organized sports as "a laboratory in which young man
regardless of social class can learn the advantages and rewards of a competitive system", also for
young women, without regard to race and economic background.
‒ The 1996 Olympics provided evidence of the increased interest in woman’s organized sports.
1. Competion:
‒ The idea of competition is at the very heart of organized sports in the US – believed that learning
how to win in sports helps develop necessary habits to compete successfully in later life.
‒ The competition ethic taught in sports must be learned and ingrained in youth for the future success
of American business and military efforts.
+ contains some element of hard work – “hustle, persistence, and never quiting”
+ contains some element of physical courage – being “tough”, having “guts”
‒ Slogans: “Hustle – you can’t survive without it” – “A quitter never wins, a winer never quits” – “It’s
easy to be ordinary, but it takes guts to excel.
2. Amateur athletics and professional sports:
‒ Amateur athletics, associated with schools, colleges – valued for teaching young people
traditional values
‒ Profesional sports – profit and entertainment purposes – provide an example to inspire the young to
take part in organized sports => refered to as “the national religion”
‒ Billy Graham – a famous Protestant religious leader – “leisure and lying around are morally
dangerous…sports keep us busy…”
 II. Competition Carried to an Extreme (cực đoan):
‒ An excessive desire to win in sports can weaken rather than strengthen traditional American values.
‒ The idea of winning a sport is carried to excess honorable competition can turn into disorder and
violence (the players become angry -> large-scale fight) (hockey, footbal)
‒ The coach happy about the fight – help increase the winning spirit of their players, bring the men on
the team closer togerther.
‒ Criticism of professional sports:
+ The number of infuries increased and extreme roughness by burning desire to defeat the opponents.
+ Most Americans say that competition in organized sports does more to strengthen the national
character than to corrupt it – would lead to laziness and vice rather than hard work and accomplishment.
+ The players and team owners get too much money, while the fans pays more for tickest to the games.
+ Sports stars get multi-million-dolla contracts similar to rock singers and movie stars.
 Greed was spoiling the sport that is “as American as apple pie”

III. Recreation – A Time for Self-improvement:

1. Recreation: is not expected to encourage competition – much more spontaneous and serves the
individual's needs beyond the competitive word of work.
* The kinds of recreation:
‒ Americans prefer a high level of physical activity (running, tennis, snow skiing)
+ In the 1970s, the “physical fitness craze” has become a way of life of many.
‒ Long distance marthon races – popular – the organizers often limit the number of participants (open
to all, even those in wheelchairs)
 The high level enjoyed at play led to the observation that Americans have difficulty relaxing,
even in their leisure time

2. Self-Improvement:
‒ The interest that Americans have in self-improvement traceable in large measure to the nation's
Protestant heritage – also carried over into their creation habits
‒ Interest and participation in cultural activities (symphony concert, visit museum, activities such as
painting, performing music, dancing…) – improve people's minds and skills – popular.
‒ The creational interest of Americans also show a continuing respect for the self-reliance and
sometimes the adventure and danger of frontier life - leave home and take some risks.
‒ Not all Americans want to “rough it” while in their adventure holidays – Newseek reports: a
number of travelers in their 40s want “soft adventure”.
 IV. Health and Fitness:
‒ Not all Americans are physically fit – try to be fit
‒ Poor eating habits + sedentary lifestyle => population become heavier
‒ It is not Americans “don’t know what is good for them”, they just don’t do it
‒ Newspapers, magazines – full of information on nutrition and proper diet
‒ Television news programs urge people to eat more vegetables – warn of the dangers of high-fat
diets and high cholesterol levels (heart disease, types of cancer)
‒ Since 1994, the government required uniform labeling – consumers can compare the fat and
calories in the food they buy.
+ More than half of Americans pay attention to the nutritional content, but they also eat what they
really want whenever they feel like it.
‒ American families eat “on the run” instead of sitting down at the table together.
* American’s weight problem:
‒ A combination of social, cultural, psychological factors –> how people eat
‒ Reasons:
+ Eating larger portions and often go back for second helping
+ Love fast food – 50% eat pizza once every 2 weeks; consume more and more hamburger, french
fries, soft drinks (like them, cheapest items)
+ Busy lifestyle –> eatting fast food, frozen dinners, restaurant “takeout”
 American lost control of their eating, not possible to limit fat and calories when eating
too much restaurant and package food.
 It takes time to prepare fresh vegetables and fish; stop KFC/ fast food on the way home
from work.

V. The Impact of Television:

‒ Americans have gotten heavier – Television shows and commercials feature actresses who are very
slender/ slim => teenage girls becomes insecure about their bodies and obsessed with
losing weight
 Eating disoders: anorexia (biếng ăn), bulimia (cuồng ăn)
‒ The more people watch TV, the less likely they are to exercise.
‒ Has a strong effect on the activity level of many Americans –> spend much free time lying on the
couch watch TV, eating junk food => “couch potato”
*Cable and satelite TV:
‒ By the mid-1990s, 60% of all homes had cable TV (50-100 channels) , satelite dishes became
popular (~500 channels).
 *Impact of television and video games on children:
‒ Estimates are that children are watching TV programs and video tapes about 4-5 hours a day
‒ Many children don’t spend enough time reading, not getting as much excercises
‒ Millions has lowered their ability to achieve in school,
‒ A shortening of attention span (because of the habit of constantly switching between channels).
What do children see?
‒ Too much sex and violence on television (murders, sexual situations)
‒ Many Americans worry about the effect of explicit sex and violence on the moral values of the
young
 UNIT 5: EDUCATION

1825 – public schools Common schools National blessings

- Reaffirmed the - Those who favored these - The intendency of public
principle of equality: public schools believed that education to encourage
+ Making schools open to all these institutions would help people to seek a higher status
classes of Americans reduce social class in life was in harmony with,
(elementary and secondary distinctions in the United not in conflict with, the
schools). States by educating children customs of American society.
+ Financing the schools of all social classes in the - The ideal of equal
with tax money collected same. opportunity for all regardless
from all citizens -> free of family background.

Educational ladder “Work your way to the “top” Private school

- American view on the - Educational ladder is a - Religious school:
public school system. reflection of equality and + Associated with
- Kindergarten (age of 5) -> opportunity. Every American particular churches and
elementary school (6 years) -> have to go the same route to receive financial support
middle school (2 years) -> the top following the under from them (parents must
high school (4 years) -> ladder no matter who they are, also pay tuition though).
bachelor -> master -> PHD -> and how far can they go + Purpose: to give
post doctor. depend on their own ability. religious instruction to
- “Elementary -> high school” - There is one system that is children, which cannot be
are free, but public universities open to all. done in public schools. And
charge tuition and have students have the same
competitive entrance social class background
requirements (SAT, essay, (Catholic).
GPA, interview).

- The bachelor's degree can be - Elite private schools:

followed by professional + Mainly upper-class children.
studies, which lead to degrees + High tuition costs that only
in such professions as law and wealthier families can afford
medicine, and graduate them.
studies, which lead to master's + Purpose: children will
and doctoral degrees. associate with other upper-
class children and maintain
the upper-class position held
by their parents
+ getting a good education
and opportunity.
 Inequality of education Financial aid program Community college
- Elite private schools do - The tuition fees will increase - Those who can’t afford uni
conflict with the American ideal annually. or college will go to
of equality of opportunity. -> These aid under the form of community college. After 2
- Because of the way that loans and scholarship available year, they will get a diploma
schools are funded, the quality for both public and private (chứng chỉ) (haven’t had the
of education that American schools. bachelor degree yet).
students receive in public - Middle-class family that - These two-year programs
schools varies greatly: suffers the most from the rising often feed into the state
+ Most of the money for schools tuition costs. The family income university systems and offer
comes from (property) taxes -> may be too high to qualify for educational opportunities to
School districts that have financial aid, but not high those who cannot afford to
wealthy families have more tax enough to afford. attend a university.
money to spend on education ->
better facility and quality.

The money value of education Well-rounded Competitive sports

- American definition of - Besides intellectual skills - These are to increase the
success is based on wealth and (critical thinking, they have “winning spirit” of
a high material standard of their own thinking, if the competition.
living, American value teacher said sth, they will
education for its monetary have an ability to agree or Student government
value. disagree, to ask question why, - Another extracurricular
- They believe that more know how to present their activity designed to
schooling people have, the more idea, how to work together, develop competitive,
money they will earn when they creativity), the students are political, leadership and
leave school. considered well rounded also social skills in students.
- The job market in the U.S demand social and - Students in this government
shifted from industrial based to interpersonal skills (skill to are the representative for
service and information based deal with people-to-people students of the whole school
 if people don’t have situation). and they have the right to
good education, they can just - Grades on high school are talk about the policies of the
have low-paying jobs (công crucial, but so are school.
việc chân tay ít tiền hơn đầu óc). the extracurricular activities. - In order of the president
(and vice prep) to get the
position they have to get
 elected

Busing children to school Magnet schools Affirmative action

- Because of the discrimination - Schools in black - The policy to make up for
and segregation in the past neighborhood (and vice versa) the discrimination in the
(p35), Americans tried various that have special exclusive past. Universities will set
methods to achieve racial program or activities to attract aside a certain number of
balance in the public schools by not only black students but also places specifically for
using THAT method. - BCTS is white students. applicants from black and
to bus children to more distant  balance the race of the other minorities group. Some
neighborhood in order to students. position will be preserved for
these people.

achieve a greater mixture of - White students studying here - Schools set quotas for
black and white children in all will associate more with black minimum numbers of minority
schools. people and by this way, they students that must be admitted
-> e.g.: Black children from will understand each other to their programs, even if that
the inner city were bused to more meant lowering somewhat the
schools in predominantly  less discrimination. academic standards for
white middle-class admission of these students.
neighborhoods and vice versa.  with the AC, the equality of
- Most students did not like it, opportunity is violated.
and neither did their parents
because they had to ride the
bus for an hour each way,
going to and from school.

Allen Bakke – Allen Case Public Schools The Standards Movement

(1978) - In the past, the government
- Responsibilities: the
would let the district to handle
- A white student, Allen Bakke society expect public schools to
the education and determine
denied admission to the solve student problems result
the curricular
medical school at the university from the weakening of family
-> each district has different
of California at Davis. ties in the U.S. (divorce, etc.). -
curricular.
- He claimed that the medical  people expect PS to give
- Then, the government
school had admitted some instruction about the family
realized that compared to
nonwhite minority students value so that those kids will
students from different
less qualified than he. And the grow up and build a better and
countries (especially developed
U.S. Supreme Court agreed stable family.
countries), American students
that he had been denied an -> the PB couldn’t handle, out
don’t perform as good as
equal opportunity for of their possibility.
those.
admission. - Challenges: the new
=> the federal and the
- Result: Court held that a immigrant children who comes
professional school could not from different countries with government have to take
set aside a certain number of different educational control over the school
places to filled only by background and academic level curriculum
minority students because this (p38).  they set national goals for
denies equal educational education, they apply the
opportunity (AC bị bỏ). exam system and evaluation
- Professional schools, of the students.
however, could give some  change in the standard
extra consideration to of education in America.
nonwhite minority applicants,
but the Court was forbidding
them to carry this practice too
far.

Multicultural Education Canon Fragmentation

- Before 1990s, the American - In some colleges, the - The dismiss of the canon led
curricular mostly focus on traditional set of Western great to the phenomenon called
the white people culture, on books, sometimes called the fragmentation.
the literature and historical canon, has been replaced by a - Because of this, people afraid
events of the white people much broader set of literary that young people would lose
ancestors (Anglo Europeans), texts, reflecting their believe in American
and they only have one single the experiences and traditional values because of the
perspective of historical events, backgrounds of the students effect from poetry and those
they ignore the perspective of who will be reading them. kinds of stuffs written on
other races involved, they - The canon is the term different various point of view.
ignore the contribution of inferring books which only - Poetry is something that
African American. oriented to Western values. people usually rely on to
- After 1900s, the change the express their opinions and their
curricular. way of thinking on certain
+ Celebrate events from events. If students have
different backgrounds. different views, they could lose
+ Adopt historical and social their believe in
studies textbooks from other American traditional values.
backgrounds.
+ Include poetry and fiction
written by other ethnic writers.
+ Replace books which
only oriented to Western values.