Analysis Of American Moral Education In20^th Century And Its Referential Function

Morality is an important ideology in human society. It sets the principles and disciplines social life. Moral education is not only an indispensable part in individual growth, but also the process which cannot be ignored in social development. Since ancient times, moral education has always been an important part of the education, the moral education plays an elementary role in every country and their civilization transmission.Since the founding of the United States of America, moral education has always become the topic of universal concern. Especially since the early twentieth Century, the moral education in the United States is in the process from traditional to modernized education. Before the twentieth century, traditional moral education system is mainly use in America. Its features are religious, the colonial, diversified.From1890to1945(American modernization period), the features in American moral education have changed. First, moral education in public schools has become the main approach; secondly, civic education has becomes the main task; thirdly, character education has become main target; fourth, behavior guidance becomes the main form; fifth, progressive moral education methods appeared. In this period American moral education practices include:first, transferring social values through professional education; second, cultivating qualified citizens through civic education. The approaches include:education on how to become "real Americans", the enhancement on middle school civic education and "social science" curriculum; third, combination of classroom education and extra-curricular activities. And the specific measures include:classroom teaching, extracurricular activities and strengthening teachers’ effect in moral education. The fourth, non school forms of moral education, including social movement and organization with moral education purpose.After World War II, the United States economy has an unprecedented period of prosperity. While at the same time, the two camp confrontations between the United States and the Soviet Union led to the decades of the Cold War. From1945to1980moral education in the United States has got new features:the moral education marginalization, the development of progressive moral education. In this period, moral education practices in the United States include:first, changing the knowledge stress into ability stress in civic education; second, changing the personality cultivation to self realization in psychological education; third, changing guidelines education to advocating the individual choice in behavior guidance education. Since1960s the sex education and anti drug education have become the key content in the middle school moral education.At the end of nineteen eighties and the early90’s, the new "character education" movement in the U.S. has involved a wide range of character revival craze; In the twenty-first Century, education reform and character education movement continued in the public schools. Character education in the renaissance became the main features of American moral education at this stage. The features of new "character education" include five points. Firstly, the moral education has got great support by the federal, state and social. Secondly, moral education is comprehensive and has specific focuses. Thirdly, moral education has become more professional. In fourth, the moral education reflected a more inclusive and compromising tendency in content and methods. Fifth, moral education in general kept the conservative tendency. Since the nineteen eighties, character education practices in America is mainly composed of three aspects:virtue centered moral education, civic education based on cultivating pro-social emotion and ability,behavior guidance education with kindness training and evil prevention. In the this stage, the school moral education approaches include:classroom teaching, environment influence and practical experience.Since the1990s, China has encountered social transformation. Due to the rapid development of economy and culture diversification, the reform of moral education is faced with both opportunities and challenges. Analysis of the three stages of American moral education in the twentieth century can propose great important reference. Firstly, the referential function of the American moral education theory. Secondly, the referential function of the American moral education methods. It includes the adjustment of China’s moral education content, strengthening the concealment of school moral education, strengthening psychological health education, strengthening the training of teachers, strengthening guidance and service for society. Thirdly, the referential function of American moral education in non-school education, including the change of parent-child relation, enhancement on social practice, the use of modern methods.