| Abstract: | Individualism is the very core of American culture and the main value in America. We can say that individualism has been influencing all the fields of politics, economics and society, even the character of the nation. The self-reliance, Individual freedom, equal competition which are emphasized is different from the concept of individualism in China. Individualism is a western concept, and the origin can be traced back to the period of Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation. In the period of immigration and Westward movement, Individualism was intensified. Although over self-centered can bring negative effect, from the whole historical point of view, there is no big social events which violate the stable situation, this is because the concept of commitment has been in the heart of Americam for a long time. My paper here is trying to understand Individualism systematically and deeply, from the origin to the influence, from the negative effect to the means of balancing. At the same time, the paper aims at promoting the understanding and communication between the two cultures, and also to perfect our English study from the contrast and Chinese culture. |
