Intercultural Romantic Relationships: How is the Love?

Abstract

Numbers of intercultural romantic relationships are rising in the Western part of the world. However, there remains paucity in empirical evidence on how cultural differences impact those in intercultural romantic relationships. This study was conducted using qualitative methodology and involved a culturally diverse sample of 28 individuals who participated in semi-structured interviews. Interview data was analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Results revealed that culture was conceptualised as meaningfully shaping the psycho-social-sexual-spiritual and existential aspects of relational functioning. It is highlighted that intercultural partners face challenges that are a combination of cultural, socioeconomic, and personal factors, which are compounded by changes across the lifespan. Findings facilitate a new way of understanding factors that enable the effective functioning of relationships that unite multiple cultures, including support from extended family and wider community. Furthermore, effective communication, active engagement with each other's culture, and importance of attunement were identified as key to co-creating a third, intercultural reality within romantic relationships.

Keywords

Culture intercultural relationships culturally-sensitive practice qualitative research methods

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ainsworth

M. S.

Bowlby

(1991). An ethological approach to personality development. American Psychologist, 46(4), 333–341. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.46.4.333

Al-Zu'abi

Jagdish

J. S.

(2008). Marriage: An integrated study in the context of cultural variation. Digest of Middle East Studies, 17(1), 68–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1949-3606.2008.tb00147.x

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2000). Family formation: Cultural diversity in marriages. https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/2f762f95845417aeca25706c00834efa/c414ec2a595eb029ca2570ec000e2817!opendocument#:∼:text=Across%20all%20of%20these%20marriages,from%20a%20different%20birthplace%20group

Bhugun

(2017). Intercultural parenting in Australia: Managing cultural differences. The Family Journal, 25(2), 187–195. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480717697688

Braun

Clarke

(2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Braun

Clarke

(2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(4), 589–597. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806

Braun

Clarke

(2022). Conceptual and design thinking for thematic analysis. Qualitative Psychology, 9(1), 3–26. https://doi.org/10.1037/qup0000196

Braun

Clarke

(2022). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. Sage Publications Ltd.

Bronfenbrenner

(1994). Ecological models of human development. Readings on the Development of Children, 2(1), 37–43. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-5812-2.ch013

10.

Bryant

C. M.

Conger

R. D.

(2002). An intergenerational model of romantic relationship development. In Vangelisti

A. L.

Reis

H. T.

Fitzpatrick

M. A.

(Eds.), Stability and change in relationships (1st ed., pp. 57–82). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511499876.005

11.

Bustamante

R. M.

Nelson

J. A.

Henriksen

R. C.

Monakes

(2011). Intercultural couples: Coping with culture-related stressors. The Family Journal, 19(2), 154–164. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480711399723

12.

Cools

C. A.

(2006). Relational communication in intercultural couples. Language and Intercultural Communication, 6(3–4), 262–274. https://doi.org/10.2167/laic253.0

13.

Crippen

Brew

(2007). Intercultural parenting and the transcultural family: A literature review. The Family Journal, 15(2), 107–115. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480706297783

14.

De Munck

V. C.

Korotayev

De Munck

Khaltourina

(2011). Cross-cultural analysis of models of romantic love among U.S. Residents, Russians, and Lithuanians. Cross-Cultural Research, 45(2), 128–154. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069397110393313

15.

Dervin

. (2013). Do intercultural couples “see culture everywhere”?: Case studies from couples who share a lingua franca in Finland and Hong Kong. Civilisations, 62, 131–148. https://doi.org/10.4000/civilisations.3352

16.

Dewaele

J.-M.

Salomidou

(2017). Loving a partner in a foreign language. Journal of Pragmatics, 108, 116–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2016.12.009

17.

Fonseca

A. L.

Curran

Koyama

Butler

E. A.

(2021). Cultural similarities and differences in relationship goals in intercultural romantic couples. Journal of Family Issues, 42(4), 813–838. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X20929071

18.

Fonseca

A. L.

Koyama

Curran

Butler

E. A.

(2020). A theoretical model for understanding relationship functioning in intercultural romantic couples. Personal Relationships, 27(4), 760–784. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12349

19.

Givel

M. S.

(2021). Evolution of a sundown town and racial caste system: Norman, Oklahoma from 1889 to 1967. Ethnicities, 21(4), 664–683. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687968211011174

20.

Gower

McKinney

C. J.

McGuinness

Tyler-Todd

Alston

(2025, January 13). The financial (minimum income) requirement for partner visas. UK Parliament. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/researchbriefings/sn06724/

21.

Hare

A. L.

Miga

E. M.

Allen

J. P.

(2009). Intergenerational transmission of aggression in romantic relationships: The moderating role of attachment security. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(6), 808–818. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016740

22.

Hoogenraad

(2021). Marriage migration as happiness projects?: Africa-origin male marriage migrants’ experiences with marriage migration to Australia. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 47(9), 2144–2160. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2020.1729106

23.

Inman

A. G.

Altman

Kaduvettoor-Davidson

Carr

Walker

J. A

. (2011). Cultural intersections: A qualitative inquiry into the experience of asian indian-white interracial couples. Family Process, 50(2), 248–266. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2011.01358.x

24.

Karandashev

(2015). A cultural perspective on romantic love. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 5(4). https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1135

25.

Kellner

(2009). Gender perspective in cross-cultural couples. Clinical Social Work Journal, 37(3), 224–229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-009-0214-4

26.

Killian

K. D.

(2012). Resisting and complying with homogamy: Interracial couples’ narratives about partner differences. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 25(2), 125–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2012.680692

27.

Levine

Sato

Hashimoto

Verma

(1995). Love and marriage in eleven cultures. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 26(5), 554–571. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022195265007

28.

Long

. (2003). Interracial and intercultural lesbian couples: The incredibly true adventures of two women in love. In Thomas

Karis

T. A.

Wetchler

J. L.

(Eds.), Clinical issues with interracial couples: Theories and research (pp. 85–101). Haworth Press.

29.

Marshall

Batten

(2004). Researching across cultures: Issues of ethics and power. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-5.3.572

30.

Matsumoto

Seung

H. Y

Fontaine

(2008). Mapping expressive differences around the world: The relationship between emotional display rules and individualism versus collectivism. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 39(1), 55–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022107311854

31.

McKenzie

Xiong

K. C.

(2021). Fated for foreigners: Ecological realities shape perspectives of transnational marriage in northern Thailand. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 82, 121–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2021.03.010

32.

Molina

Estrada

Burnett

J. A

. (2004). Cultural communities: Challenges and opportunities in the creation of “happily ever after” stories of intercultural couplehood. The Family Journal, 12(2), 139–147. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480703261962

33.

Office for National Statistics. (2014). 2011 Census analysis: What does the 2011 Census tell us about inter-ethnic relationships? https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/marriagecohabitationandcivilpartnerships/articles/whatdoesthe2011censustellusaboutinterethnicrelationships/2014-07-03

34.

Palinkas

L. A.

Horwitz

S. M.

Green

C. A.

Wisdom

J. P.

Duan

Hoagwood

(2015). Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(5), 533–544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0528-y

35.

Reiter

M. J.

Gee

C. B.

(2008). Open communication and partner support in intercultural and interfaith romantic relationships: A relational maintenance approach. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 25(4), 539–559. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407508090872

36.

Remennick

(2009). Exploring intercultural relationships: A study of Russian immigrants married to native Israelis. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 40(5), 719–738. https://doi.org/10.3138/jcfs.40.5.719

37.

Rokach

Clayton

(2023). The consequences of child abuse. Healthcare, 11(1), 1650. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11111650

38.

Rosenblatt

P. C.

Stewart

C. C

. (2004). Challenges in cross-cultural marriage: When she is Chinese and he is Euro-American. Sociological Focus, 37(1), 43–58. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20832220

39.

Ruebelt

S. G.

Singaravelu

Daneshpour

Brown

C. M.

(2016). Exploration of cross-cultural couples’ marital adjustment: Iranian American women married to European American men. Current Psychology, 35(3), 437–449. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-015-9312-3

40.

Singh

Killian

K. D.

Bhugun

Tseng

(2020). Clinical work with intercultural couples. In Wampler

K. S.

Blow

A. J.

(Eds.), The handbook of systemic family therapy (1st ed.) (pp. 155–183). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119790945.ch7

41.

Sorokowski

Sorokowska

Karwowski

Groyecka

Aavik

Akello

Alm

Amjad

Anjum

Asao

Atama

C. S.

Atamtürk Duyar

Ayebare

Batres

Bendixen

Bensafia

Bizumic

Boussena

Buss

D. M.

Sternberg

R. J.

(2021). Universality of the triangular theory of love: Adaptation and psychometric properties of the triangular love scale in 25 countries. The Journal of Sex Research, 58(1), 106–115. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2020.1787318

42.

Ugazio

Singh

Guarnieri

. (2022). The ‘Arab spring’ within an intercultural couple. Does the unmentioned ‘racial difference’ matter? Journal of Family Therapy, 44(1), 56–75. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6427.12382

43.

Uhlich

Luginbuehl

Schoebi

(2022). Cultural diversity within couples: Risk or chance? A meta-analytic review of relationship satisfaction. Personal Relationships, 29(1), 120–145. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12405

44.

West

A. L.

Naeimi

Di Bartolomeo

A. A.

Yampolsky

Muise

(2022). Growing together through our cultural differences: Self-expansion in intercultural romantic relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672221121508

45.

Yampolsky

M. A.

West

A. L.

Zhou

Muise

Lalonde

R. N.

(2021). Divided together: How marginalization of intercultural relationships is associated with identity integration and relationship quality. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 12(6), 887–897. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550620962653

46.

Yurtaeva

Charura

(2024). Comprehensive scoping review of research on intercultural love and romantic relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 41(6), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075241228791

Supplementary Material

Please find the following supplemental material available below.

For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.

For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.

0.00 MB

0.20 MB