A Study On Mainstream Values Of Moral Education In American School

This study is a theory research.It study America school moral educationmainstream values develop and change, and why they change, and what affect. Thisstudy is divided into six parts: the part of introduction expounds propose of theproblem, concept definition, research significance, research method and literaturereview. the first chapter look backs the history of development of moral education inprimary and middle schools in American, the second chapter introduces the moralsconventionalism and morals formalism, the third chapter discusses the essence of themainstream values, the fourth chapter analysis the causes of mainstream valueformation, the fifth chapter discusses the influence of mainstream values.In the first chapter, this article discusses family moral education and thinks itaccumulates a wealth of valuable experience for moral education in primary andmiddle schools in American. Because the United States is a typical religious society,the moral education in elementary and secondary school has been inheriting thefamily moral education in many aspects and presents obvious religious tendencies,especially Christian that is not only occupied the American public schools, but also itis popular to the private schools. At this time, religious education or faith educationand moral education is thought to the same process, the teaching methods, forexample, intervention, control and implants are considered to be effective. At this timewe can say the moral education in elementary and secondary school is a kind oftraditional moral education in the American. However, history is always advancing,American public schools become secularization gradually, the secular moral educationtheory profound influence on moral education in elementary and secondary school,they have a common name–formalism. However, the traditional moral education isnot die out and disguise, not only affect the moral education in the American publicschools, but also have been kept it as a kind of traditional education methods inprivate schools. So, there are two forces in moral education in elementary andsecondary school in American—the traditionalist school and modernism. In thesecond chapter, focusing on introducing the traditionalist school and modernism,including historical origin, main content, human nature view and advocating method,then compare them. These two schools of thought stand in opposition to a unified.The chapter three introduces the mainstream values, which depending on thefirst two chapters. Particularly the recognition of the analytical framework about themainstream values, not only depends on the discussion of the first two chapters, butalso combines Aristotelian ethics and some thought of Kantism and John Deweyphilosophy. By combing though the history of the development of the moral educationof American primary and middle school, I have realized there exists two genres in themoral education of American primary and middle school, and some others genres also can be thought belong to these two genres. The view of Aristotelian ethics，the socalled moral value is consisted of morals in philosophy, and moral value itself isobjective existence. However these moral values which consist of morals are not keeppace with each other, but link together by some certain relationships. The existence ofone kind of moral value should depends on another moral value，that means somemoral value is aim、some is method and some is both aim and method，however themoral value which is both aim and method is method ultimately. Aristotle think thatthe moral value existing as aim has the surely importance compared with the moralvalue which as method. By that, the principle of the preferential sequence and thedictionary type sequence about the moral value appeared in John Dewey philosophy.So no matter in the traditional socialist moral or in the moral formalism, the moralvalue which only exist as aim is the most important value in the whole of the moralthought system. However, on matter what kind of doctrine can only stands for the halfof the moral education of American primary and middle school, but not for all. Soonly two genres can be confirmed, and the moral value which only exists as aim is themainstream values. In view of the above, the recognition of the main mainstreamvalues is solved finally.Moral value is objective, but the understanding of the moral values is subjective.Due to the people who face the different of historical background, social environment,class standpoint, community or religious culture, the understanding of the moral valueis not the same and this difference is normal and inevitable. Different acquaintance isnot exist the different of right and wrong, exists only excellence and inferior. However,As Lord Ralf Dahrenddorf and Lewis Coser thinking, conflict does not mean damage,even rupture, it means change and stabilize. Therefore, conflict about understandingof mainstream value means that mainstream value become mature gradually. It is theview of the focus of the conflict, make opinions unified, situation balance or viewoptimization. In the third chapter, the mainstream values is always full of quarrel,contradiction and conflict, however it is the true colors of mainstream values—Correct does not exist to determine the root understanding, just to close things truecolors, just close to the true face of things unrestrictedly.The fourth chapter discusses the influence of the formation of the mainstreamvalues, as well as front articles mentioned, some conflicts reached some balance. Thecognition of diverse of mainstream values is from the complicated social factors, butthere is also another conflict in these factors. However, no matter how conflict, thecommon role of these factors including religious, social community, ethniccommunity and political led to the formation of the mainstream values. Themainstream values of moral education in primary and middle schools in Americanalso produce reality function in the fifth chapter that is the last chapter. Due to themainstream value is the most important value in the moral system, the recognition ofthe mainstream value can lead the teenager moral development naturally. In addition, it will promote American social develop from disorder moral to the order moral. Thisorder is not only a kind of order under macro perspectives, but also a kind of orderthat is dominated by pluralism. At the same time, the mainstream value that is full ofgreat debate will lead to people follow a type of critical spirit and field of postmodern.