英美社会与文化是英语专业的一门主要课程，也是学生了解所学语言背景知识的一个主要窗口。本书比较全面地反映了主要英语国家的社会及文化，具有相当的专业性、指导性、资料性和实用性，适合英语专业本科教学及英语学习者自学。本书分国土和人民、历史、政府与政治、社会生活和文化生活四大板块，展望英美社会及文化大篇章。除了反映这门课程现有的主要内容和基本特点外，该书有意识地引入了一些民俗文化，如英国人和美国人的生活方式、社交礼仪、社会禁忌，以及休闲方式等所折射出的文化特征，从中既可了解异域文化又可增强文化差异意识。

本书是在作者为英语专业开设的英语社会与文化课程讲义的基础．卜编著而成的，包括英国和美国两卷内容。每一卷包括四大板块，分别为该国国土与人民、历史、政治体制、社会与文化生活。每一部分设有“内容导读”，每章由“要点聚焦”、“章节内容”、“思考探究”、“课外链接”以及部分知识点脚注组成。编写过程中着力体现以下原则和特点：①社会知识与文化知识相结合，交际文化与知识文化并重；②教学与自学并重，着力培养学生的自学能力和信息检索等能力；③学习和探究相结合；④脉络明晰、易于知识整合；⑤贴近现实生活。

本书主要用于英语专业本科教学，同时可用于英语专业专科和自学考试、非英语专业研究生英语社会与文化教学。

Volume 1 British Society and Culture

英国社会与文化

 Prelude

 Section 1 United Kingdom：Land and People

 第一部分 英国国土与人民

Chapter 1 United Kingdom：Land and People

 1.Confusing Names

 2.Countries within a Country

 3.Geographical Features

 4.The Climate

 5.The People in UK

 6.Characteristics ofthe British

 7.Famous Landmarks

 Section 2 British History

 第二部分 英国历史

Chapter 2 The Origins of the British Nation

 1.Early Settlers

 2.Roman Britain

 3.The Anglo-Saxon Britain

 4.The Viking and Danish Invasion

Chapter 3 The Shaping of the Nation

 1.The Norman Conquest

 2.The Rule ofLaw

 3.The Birth ofParliament

 4.The Hundred Years’War

 5.WarS ofRoses

Chapter 4 Transition to Modern Era

 1.The Tudor Monarchy

 2.The English Renaissance

 3.The Reformation ofthe Church

 4.Elizabethan Age

 5.English Revolution

 6.The Commonwealth.

 7.The Glorious Revolution of 1688

Chapter 5 The Rise and Fall of the British Empire

 1.The Agricultural Revolution

 2.The Industrial Revolution

 3.The Chartist Movement

 4.The Rise ofthe British Empire

 5.From Empire to Commonwealth

 Section 3 British Political Institutions

 第三部分 英国的政府与政治

Chapter 6 Government and Politics of UK

 1.The Constitutional Monarchy

 2.The Monarch

 3.The House ofLords

 4.Tlle House ofCommons

 5.Parliamentary Government

 Section 4 British SociaI and Cultural Lifo

 第四部分 英国的社会与文化生活

Chapter 7 British SociaI Life

 1.Family and Life

 2.Social CUStoms and Etiquettes

 3.Religions and Beliefs

 4.British Economy

 5.British Social Welfare

 6.Justice and Law

Chapter 8 British Cultural Life

 1.Education in Britain

 2.Tlle British Public Media

 3.British Leisure Activities

 4.Holidays and Festivals

 5.British Food and Drinks

 Prelude

 1.Images ofthe united states

 2.Symbols ofthe United States

Volume 2 American Socieyt and Culture

美国社会与文化

 Section 1 The United States：Land and People

 第一部分 美国国土与人民

Chapter 1 United States：the Land

 1.Location and Size

 2.Geographical Features

 3.State Regions

 4.Natural Resources

 5.The Climate

 6.National Landmarks

Chapter 2 United States：The“Melting Pot”

 1.Here They Come!

 2.“A Nation ofNations”

 3.Major Racial and Ethnic Groups

 4.American National Characteristics

 5.Basic American Values and Beliefs

 Section 2 American History

 第二部分 美国历史

Chapter 3 The Founding of a Nation

 1.The Discovery

 2.The Founding of 13 Colonies

 3.The American Revolution

 4.The Founding ofa Nation

 5.Jeffersonian Democracy

 6.The Second War with England

Chapter 4 “From Rags to Riches”

 1.Westward Expansion

 2.The Civil War

 3.An Industrial Giant

 4.The Progressive Movement

Chapter 5 America in the Twentieth Century

 1.America during World War Ⅰ

 2.“From Riches to Rags”

 3.America during World War Ⅱ

 4.Cold War and American Containment

 5.From Camelot to Watergate

 6.From New Right toward a New Millennium

 Section 3 United States Political Institutions

 第三部分 美国的政府与政治

Chapter 6 American Political and Government System

 1.American Constitution

 2.American Federal Govemment

 3.Bipartisan Politics

 4.Presidential Elections

 Section 4 American Social and Cultural Life

 第四部分 美国的社会与文化生活

Chapter 7 American SociaI Life

 1.Family and Life

 2.Social Securiy-A Built-in Stabilizer

 3.“Free Market of Religion”

 4.Justice and Law

 5.Overview ofAmerican Economy

Chapter 8 American CulturaI Life

 1.American Education-A System ofNo System

 2.American Wav OfLife

 3.American Manners and Courtesies in Social Life

 4.Holidays and Festivals

 5.Recreation

Timeline of Monarchs of Britain

Timeline of American Presidents

Bibliography