摘　要

家庭，是各种关系的总和（包括血缘关系，财产关系，亲人关系等），是个人生存和发展的基础。它也是社会不可缺少的组成部分。因此，家庭观念是社会诸多观念中一种重要的体现。家庭观念，影响着家庭每一个成员的行为举止，以及他们今后的表现。研究此课题，以便读者有更深刻的了解，在跨文化交际的大背景下，更加尊重和维护世界文化多样性。作者将运用查阅文献法，归纳—演绎法等诸多研究方法，针对中国和美国这两国的家庭观念，进行探究、分析和比较，并找出两国差异性背后的影响因素和文化渊源----个人主义和集体主义等等。

关键词：中美家庭观念；跨文化交际；差异性；个人主义；集体主义

Abstract

The family is the sum of all kinds of relations (including blood relation, property relation, family relations, etc.)It is the basis of individual survival and development. It is also an indispensable part of society. Therefore, the concept of family is an important manifestation of various social attitudes. The concept of family affects each member of the family behavior, as well as his future performance in the community. Researching on this subject can help readers have a more profound understanding of it. And also in the big background of cross-cultural communication, people can show more respect and help maintain the diversity of world culture. The author will use literature method, inductive-deductive method and other research methods to seek the detailed content of family conception within China and America, explore, analyze and compare and then finally find out the influencing factors behind----individualism and collectivism.

Key words: family conception; cross-cultural communication; difference; individualism; collectivism

1    Introduction
   This paper is aimed to find out the detailed content of family conception within China and America these two big countries. As we all know regardless of individual or the whole society, family is the essential foundation of living and development. It plays an indispensable role in economy, politics, and also cultural fields.” The future of the United States lies in each family’s growing”, that is what Republican candidate Mitt Romney said in his president election. He wants to stress the values to prove that he is a good man and also a faithful believer of the American conception of family.
Family values are the core of the cultural value of the research system. It plays a decisive role in the behaviors of the family members. Values of the family members directly affect their speech and behavior in society, that is to say, the values of the community as a whole depends largely on family values.
Based on such great importance, the author will use various kinds of researching methods to make clear the answer and then make a comparison of family conception within these two countries. As people say, there is no place like home. Through this essay, the readers will have a better idea of family at home and abroad, especially the word “abroad” here means the United States.