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Monika Wrobel, Ph.D.
M17. People Across Cultures: An Introduction to Cross-Cultural Psychology
#6
LOVE AND
LOVE AND
MARRIAGE ACROSS
MARRIAGE ACROSS
CULTURES
CULTURES
12/18/2010
2
Sternberg
Sternberg
’
’
s
s
triangular
triangular
theory
theory
of
of
love
love
Passion
Intimacy
Commitment
time
P
I
C
12/18/2010
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The universality of love
The universality of love
–
–
Sternberg
Sternberg
’
’
s theory revisited
s theory revisited
Individualist cultures
a lot of emphasis put on
romantic love (movies, magazines, talk shows, soap
operas, etc.)
Jankowiak and Fisher (1992)
86 different cultures
they analysed pop songs and found the idea of love in 88%
of them
in collectivist cultures songs usually described love
entangled in social relationships
love seen as a bitter-
sweet experience
Western and Eastern kettle metaphor of love.
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12/18/2010
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Arranged vs. love marriages
Arranged vs. love marriages
(1)
(1)
Are arranged marriages less happy than
marriages out of love?
Gupta and Singh (1992)
a sample of 50 couples (25 in arranged, 25 in love marriages)
arranged marriages
: felt less love at the start of their marriage
than those who had married for love, but the level of love
increased over the first 5 years of marriage and was
maintained at this high level over the following 5 years
love marriages
: the degree of love started at a higher level
and was maintained over the first 5 years, but by 10 years had
fallen well below the level experienced by those in arranged
marriages
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Arranged vs. love marriages
Arranged vs. love marriages
(2)
(2)
love marriages:
it is
important to nurture feelings
between each other
arranged marriages:
it is
more crucial to adjust to
each other
Probably people in arranged marriages and
love marriages are equally satisfied, but this
satisfaction has different basis:
12/18/2010
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Ethnically mixed marriages
Ethnically mixed marriages
People in mixed marriages get divorced more
often than people in unicultural marriages.
They have to find answers to hundreds of
questions, such as:
How to raise their children?
In what country to live in?
What language and tradition to maintain?
What religion to choose?
Assimilation vs. integration strategy.
