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Now along with the development of the modern civilization and globalization, the communication between Chinese and American is more frequent than before. Their cultures as well as family values collide with and learn from each other. Chinese people now are aware of the importance of independent consciousness and American people are paying more attention to the intimacy among family members. Gradually their family values may change because of the globalization in the future.
II. Cross-cultural Communication Background
Since the late 1960s, culture has been considered tighter with communication. Culture is based on the community of communication. Communication involves people and their environment. Thus culture is an important factor in communication. Today with modem economic and technological development, intercultural communication is more important than ever before. When people from different cultural background communicate with each other, their social stereotype pattern of behavior, their habits of language and thought differ from one another, because these are the possible factors that affect intercultural communications. Culture norms also change, culture may be transferred as signs but we have to study and understand the above carefully. Family values are the core in the research of cultural values, and it has a huge influence on people’s thoughts and behaviors. So if we want to get a glimpse of the cultures of two different countries, it is necessary to know their different family values As the pace of the global economy integration accelerates, cross-cultural communication between China and America is becoming more and more frequent and important，and the research can undoubtedly help Chinese people and American people to further understand with each other and their family values and to avoid unnecessary conflicts caused by the misunderstanding and mistakes.
III. Differences Between Chinese and American Family Culture
3.1 Differences in Family Life
The institution of family is the pinnacle of society. This is a fact that has long been realized by the Chinese who hold the family bonds as sacred and honor them accordingly. The traditional Chinese family has a hierarchical order with the man as the head of the family tagged with the responsibility for earning the bread of his family. This responsibility also endows him with complete authority and the final say in the affairs of the family.
The roles adopted by the members of the family in Chinese society have been greatly influenced by religion. Social order and communal behavior was learnt by the Chinese through the philosophy of Confucianism. The influence of religion on the family structure spanned from choosing a mate to dealing with the children.
As in many Asian cultures, the elders of the family are revered for their wisdom. In both traditional and modern families, elders are respected, taken care of and looked up to by the rest of the family. In traditional families, including those living in a rural environment, many households include five generations living together. Even in modern households, many grandparents live with their children and their kids. When elders die, they are honored by ancestor altars in homes, featuring candles, photographs and favorite items of the deceased.
The Chinese culture has undergone many dramatic changes in recent years, but the family structure and the importance of family values remain a focus. Families are still cherished, honored and respected, whether you live in the traditional, rural environment, or the modern, urban city.
3.1.1 The Attitude to the Family Members and Their Relationships in China
Chinese people have a big family with variety of relatives, which may be easy to cause competition and suspicion. So in order to maintain order and family harmony, they particularly advocate showing respect to their seniority in the light of the theory of law and discipline rite of Confucius. And “act you role well” is the key to a harmonious family relationship. All the family members should be ranked strictly and according to their position in the family hierarchy they would be treated separately and be required to do what they should do. So in traditional Chinese family, the elder is highly respected. As filial piety is the primary thought in the Confucianism, which is the ethical morals that regulate the family parent-child relationship. So that’s why Chinese hold in esteem the feedback circulation pattern: parent bring up their children, then after parents are getting old, it is their children’s responsibility and duty to care for them and give them both material and spiritual support.