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1. Adulthood is an essential period between childhood and parenthood
Ideal picture of human development may stand differently from its reality in daily life. One major function of adulthood is to protect children during their
season of protracted vulnerability, but current events force American people to recognize that they are in a drawn out and worsening adulthood. The crises of
childhood adolescence and youth in contemporary America have been tragically demonstrated in relation to adulthood, parenthood father, mother,
and also the condition of society cultural development.
In post-modern America, national cultures as well as sub-cultures have their moral foundations or identity of values, traditions, institutions and
disciplines. But in every enlightened society like America, the national cultures and sub-cultures are opposed by the high culture that makes its agenda in
provoking culture wars. American people who cannot choose several hard choices required by identity will find it hard also to make the commitments required by
intimacy. The ceremony like wedding thereby reminds each couple at the outset of their life that one of them would probably become alone in the absence of the
other. Finally, in American lifetime, intimacy is too often called on to substitute for identity, even such individual of fragile identity put very heavy demands on
their partners. They insist that their partner provide an unshakeable security and something other assurances that actually come only from the well-founded self.
Any difficulties around identity and intimacy are exacerbated by the prospect of the parental condition. Thus at this point, the parents or the older persons are
important in order not to give some bad effects toward adulthood www.americanvalues.org
, accessed on 29
th
May 2006 at 22.00.
2. Marriage is more than something personal and it sustains love
Love is one’s own private possession, but marriage is more than something personal, it is a status. Just as it is the crown, and not merely the will to
rule, that makes the king, so it is marriage, and not merely love for each other, that
xlii joins couples together in the sight of God and man. It is not love that sustains the
marriage, but the marriage that sustains love. Marriage is more than a personal relationship between spouses. It is a social institution, with rules, public meaning
and a story to tell. Marriage is a status people graduated into, and it is bigger than any human beings
www.americanvalues.org , accessed on 29
th
May 2006 at 22.00.
This seems like a strange American value in which the truth is that almost everything these days impels people to consider the troubled institution of
marriage. There are many students settling for “uncommitted relationships”, they struggle academically because their single mothers are unable to give them the
economic, emotional and directional support they need. As the result, many young men and young women seem cannot really make sense of their role in modern
life. In this case, American people should not be surprised at the sense of rootless- ness and directionless-ness. Today, fathers are not really necessary and it is not
shocking anymore. There are so many married fathers who are doing a terrific job, very involved with their children, have a pretty good marriage, respect their wives
as equals, and they may look like the best fathers for their family. However, in terms of numbers, families that do not have a father at all are swamping them.
American people seem to be losing the institutional imperatives of marriage, leaving only the private relationship and that is increasingly likely to turn on
personal satisfaction www.americanvalues.org
, accessed on 29
th
May 2006 at 22.00.
3. Thrifty is good both for individuals or society
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