At the same time, family values are important parts of culture values。 Values are the most important factors to decide family values in the modern society。 In order to comprehend the concept of family values, we need to know what value is。 Value is a value appraisal system or relatively fixed evaluation of all kinds of things, which is also called value orientation。 In the book American Society and Culture, Wang Enming says values are ideals about what is right and wrong, desirable and undesirable, normal and abnormal, proper and improper。 This definition gives us an intuitive feeling of value。 Value exists in our minds and guides us to think about the surrounding world。 Value is the represent of culture and the core of communicative culture。 At the basis of the above explanation of family and value, we can know that family values are the behaviors of family members, living criteria and also the standard which measures these behaviors。 It is the value passed on from generations to generations within families which is the moral and ethical principle。来,自,优.尔:论;文*网www.chuibin.com +QQ752018766-

4。 The Causes of the Formation of American Family Values 

4。1History

The United States is an immigrant country which has a short history。 But it is the short history that contributed to the unique culture it has。 The first settlers from Europe came to North American continent to establish colonies which were free from the controls that existed in European societies。 At that time, many, many European people couldn’t endure the interposition and oppression in Europe。 They wanted to escape the controls and restrictions placed on many aspects of their lives by Kings, churches, priests, governments and authorities。 In those circumstances, freedom was more valuable than their lives to them。 They chose to adventure across the Atlantic Ocean and began their new life in North America。 Americans thinks that freedom means the desire and the right of all inpiduals to determine their own destinies。 It was that time freedom became the most sonorous and inveterate value of Americans and family values of the colonies was gradually forming。