Cultural Influences on Intercultural Relationships for Women

The International Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication, 2017

As transnational social networks expand, people increasingly form intimate relationships with partners from a different sociocultural background. While intercultural intimate relationships are not a new phenomenon, they have attracted research only recently due to their global proliferation. Scholars are particularly interested in how such mixed relationships communicate and how their interculturality impacts on partners' (and their offspring's) identities. Some studies have been criticized for overemphasizing cultural differences and identification problems of intercultural partners. This depiction of intercultural coupledom as problematic in early research echoed initial societal perceptions of it. Contrastingly, recent works explore how intercultural partners can effectively communicate and negotiate their complex sociocultural repertoires. The hybrid cultural forms and meanings that intercultural couples create are shown as empowering rather than debilitating. This new approach is also reflected in society and the media, which increasingly represent intercultural families in a positive light, gradually normatizing or even endorsing them.

The paper presents an observation of several aspects of four intercultural marriages influenced by the cultural differences between the spouses processed through Hofstede’s and Hall’s cultural models; more specifically, three cultural dimensions: Individualism/Collectivism, Power Distance and High-/Low-context Cultures. The participants’ home-countries are The United States, Germany, The United Kingdom, Serbia and Greece. This research proves that social and emotional expectations in a relationship are indeed highly dependent on values the culture, in which an individual was raised, impose to that individual as normal functioning. A clash of worldviews in an intercultural marriage can only be reconciled through a high degree of determination to make love last alongside with the essential cultural awareness, tolerance and a spark of adaptability. Intercultural marriage as a phenomenon in which the impact of cultural differences becomes apparent on many levels is also a great guide to building stable relationships on compromise, mutual understanding and the willingness to adapt and never stop learning – the very essence of cross-cultural communicative competence.

Karnac eBooks, 2010

This document is the published version of ''Working with intercultural couples'. It is reproduced here with the kind permission of Karnac Books Karnac Books can be found at http://www.karnacbooks.com/ You are encouraged to consult the remainder of this publication if you wish to cite from it.

Prologue: Journal on Language and Literature, 2024

This study aims to determine the pattern of intercultural communication and the inhibiting factors of the intercultural communication process in inter-ethnic marriages of Nikmatul Rasidah and her husband, Paul. The theory used is the theory of interpersonal communication. The method used in this study is qualitative with a descriptive approach, with data collection through interviews and direct observation. The research subject is Nikmatul Rasidah and Paul by using triangulation credibility test. Based on the results of research conducted, it is known: (a) the pattern of intercultural communication applied by this couple is tolerance, being open to each other, giving in to each other, telling each other, respecting, understanding, and learning the language of each other to maintain harmony in their household. (b) barriers to communication are influenced by differences in language, behavior and habits, cultural background, social prejudice or stereotypes.

2023

Romantic love is a dynamic and psychological process that adapts across cultures, is influenced by cultural beliefs and values, and occurs in various ways around the world. In the literature, a significant difference was found between intercultural married couples and married couples from the same culture in terms of marital satisfaction. The lack of studies on intercultural family relationships makes keeps researchers from understanding these couples psychologically (e.g., different values and beliefs), emotionally (e.g., stress management), and socially (e.g., cultural behavioral differences). In this study, whether intercultural couples have more relationship satisfaction than monocultural couples will be addressed by aiming the contribute to the literature. It has been suggested that there is a gap between research on the relationship satisfaction of monocultural couples and multicultural couples. In this research, further research questions are provided to be investigated in future studies.

Polish Psychological Bulletin, 2014

The paper investigates the various factors from a socio-cultural perspective that have a bearing on the intercultural couple’s marital satisfaction in Westerner and non-Westerner relationships, and how cultural differences may potentially amplify the difficulties, which non-intercultural couples themselves are already likely to face. These factors include acculturation, language and communication, attitudes toward marriage, individual traits and behaviours, support of the family, societal views, gender roles, managing of the household finances and child rearing. Certain theories are also highlighted in an attempt to explain why these cultural differences have such a profound effect on the marital satisfaction of intercultural couples.

Clinical Social Work Journal, 2009

This article explores gender perspective in clinical work with couples whose romantic choices fall across cultural, racial and religious lines. A conceptual framework is presented to track the dimensions of differences between the two partners in intercultural couples (collective vs. individualistic). The article illustrates how emotional expressiveness, continuum of autonomy, gender differentiation, and sexuality play out in intimate cross-cultural relationships. It also shows how the embedded, culturally assigned gender beliefs and roles are addressed in treatment. Examples from the author’s clinical work are presented throughout the article.

2021

This study aims to discover and to analyze how interfaith couples negotiate their identities with each other. In Indonesia, especially in Jakarta, individuals often meet and interact with people from different backgrounds and as a result, some fall in love. However, partners who belong to distinct cultures will encounter numerous obstacles and will specifically face resistance from their social environment. This study uses a qualitative research methodology with the constructivist paradigm. The results of this study revealed that religious identity is not an obstacle for respondents to proceed to the stage of marriage. However, identity negotiation is required for couples to obtain the blessings of their social environments, which in this case concern the family of one party.

Current Psychology, 2015

This article presents a qualitative, phenomenological study which explored cross-cultural marital adjustment among intermarried Iranian American women and their European American husbands. Twelve couples participated in individual and joint interviews. Analysis of the interviews suggests that although cross-cultural differences exist between the couples, these differences were not preventing successful marital adjustment. The interviews revealed that successful marital adjustment relied heavily on certain positive features or "strengths," which worked as buffers to cross-cultural differences. The findings of this study add to the limited literature on Iranian Americans, intermarriage, and cross-cultural marital adjustment, and have implications for counselors and marriage and family therapists working with cross-cultural couples.