WhyAmericanCultureisUnique

　　Americancultureisuniquebecauseitisnurtured,formedanddevelopedundercertainconditions,whicharecharacteristically(特性)American.Themajorfactorscontributingtothemakingofthisnewnationandtheformingofanewculturearethehardenvironment,ethnicdiversity(多民族)andpluralreligion,whichisquitedifferentfromothernationsintheworld.Whatismore,theseelementsarestillinfluencingtheAmericanculture.

　　1.RoughEnvironment

　　TheearlyimmigrantswhowereEnglishPuritanssettleddowninnortheastpartofAmerican.Theenvironmenttherewasveryroughbuttheybelievedthepoorlandcouldpurifytheirmindsotheychosetheplacealongthecoast.From1607to1892,frontierswerepushedfurtherwest.TheAmericanfrontierconsistedoftherelativelyunsettledregionsoftheUnitedStates,usuallyfoundinthewesternpartofthecountry.Thefrontiersmenlookedforalandofrichresourcesandalandofpromise,opportunityandfreedom.Actuallytheylookedforabetterlife.Soindividualism,self-reliance,andequalityofopportunityhaveperhapsbeenthevaluesmostcloselyassociatedwiththefrontierheritage(遗产)ofAmerican.

　　2.EthnicDiversity

　　ThepopulationoftheUnitedStatesincludesalargevarietyofethnicgroupscomingfrommanyraces,nationalities,andreligions.PeoplerefertotheUnitedStatesas"meltingpot"andthedominantpeopleareBritish.AmericanismadeupofWASP+MM,thatis,White,AngloSaxon,ProtestantsplusMiddleClassandMale.Inhistory,peoplefromdifferentcountriesintheworldrushedtoAmericanthreetimes.TheybroughttheirownculturetoAmericanandlaterondifferentculturesweremixedtogether.ThustheuniqueAmericancultureisformed,acommonculturallifewithcommonlysharedvalues.

　　3.Pluralreligion

　　ThefundamentalAmericanbeliefinindividualfreedomandtherightofindividualstopracticetheirownreligionisatthecenterofreligiousexperienceintheUnitedStates.Thegreatdiversityofethnicbackgroundshasproducedreligiouspluralism;almostallofthereligionsoftheworldarenowpracticedintheUnitedStates.Christianity(基督教)isthedominantreligioninAmericanandProtestant(新教)ispredominate(主导).AnyindividualsareequalbeforeGodandtheybelievetheycancommunicatedirectlytoGodsotheycansharethesameidea.Undertheprotestant,manynewonesareformedanddifferentexplanationsproducedifferentsectofreligion.ChurchesareindependentandAmericanreligionisnolongerreligionseculars.Theinstitutionpermitsthepracticeofreligionandthepoliticalpowerisseparateformreligion.SotherearemorereligionsinAmericanthaninothercountries.

　　4.Currentinfluence:

　　Nowadays,wecanseethecontinualinfluenceofthethreeelementsinthecurrentAmericansociety.Americanfamilyistypicallyparentsandtheirunmarriedchildren.Middle-agedandelderlypeoplegenerallydonotlivewiththeirmarriedchildren.ManyAmericansliveinmobilehomeswhosehomesarebuiltwithwheels.Theycanbemoved.ThepeopleinAmericanhaveaverystrongdesiretostartanewlifeinanewplace.Quiteanumberofpeoplechangeresidences(住所)everyyear.TheaverageAmericanmovesfourteentimesinhislifetime.ThecouragetotrysomethingnewhasbeenanAmericancharacteristic.Americandemocracymeansmajorityrule,butitalsomea