AO1 - influence of culture on romantic relationshi
culture - human-made bit of environment (Herskovits) - it also affects human behaviour - i.e. it's interactive therefore it affects our relationship behaviour
cross-cultural research highlights assumptions + so elimitates bias + helps reduce errors when examining other cultures + helps us appreciate situational factors + extend variables + relaibility + validity of theories
Moghaddam - in invidualist western cultures relationships are voluntary and temporary but in collectivist non-western cultures relationships are involuntary and permanent
one major cultural influence on RRs is marriage and whether it is arranged or a love marriage
e.g.s Gupta + SIngh 1982- compared love + liking in 100 professional couples in Jaipur - 50% arranged + 50% love - love + liking sclaes completed at 1,5 +10 yrs - in love marraiges love + liking started high + decreased and vice versa for arranged
Myers et all 2005 found no difference in marital satisfaction between arranged marraiges in India and love marriages in the USA amongst individuals
other relevant research ing china - Xioahe + Whyte 1990 - women in love marriages are more satisfied that those in arranged marriages + in 1949 no. of arranged marriages = 70%, in 1990s = 10%
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AO2 - influence of culture on romantic relationshi
Marriage often assumed to be etic construct (i.e. concepts generally the same accross all cultures) however it's actually emic -> diff characteristics in different cultures
- i.e. conclusions from findings about marriage in one culture can't be generalised onto another as marriages start/are maintained differently in individualist and collectivist cultures.
- e.g. can't study marriage breakdown in some relationships in some cultures as it divorce/separation is not permitted. - therefore there are issues with the cross-cultural comparaisons because of this as the marriage would have to be maintained on some level
conflicting findings in India + China - explained by generalising - e.g. women's higher satisfaction in China in love marriages (LM) compared to arranged (AM) maybe because China is modernising more than India - or diff gender relations - men maybe more satisfied by AM than women so studies where both couple's satisfaction is measured make those marriages seem more successful
some ppl move from collectivist cultures to individualist and so are influenced by both cultures - e.g. AM in India may = diff emotions to 3rd generation Indian Migrants in the UK - you may be happier in an AM if you live where choice not expected rather than where it is
++ 2nd generation Pakistani Muslim women in Canada favoured LM but feared their fathers would object - acculturation leads to diff attitudes which will affect experience if preferred option cant be pursued - research must reflect cultural chnges
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AO3 - influence of culture on romantic relationshi
Cultural Bias in research: - imposed etic my have been used to judge relationship behaviour - where a research imposes their own cultural biases + theoretical framework even if it doesn't fit the study subject and distorts findings - e.g. Gupta + Singh - used Rubin's loving + liking scale - devised in the US which has an individualist culture but India has a collectivist culture. THEREFORE they assume US social constructs also apply to India - invalid
Ethics - protection from Psych Harm must be considered as qus about love/family/permanence/arguments may be traumatic
Privacy + Confidentiality - personal issues relating to fidelity/intimacy + Ps may not want family to know about behaviour/attitudes that may conflict their family's
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