An Analysis of Chinese and American Marital Conflicts from the Perspective of Cultural Differences文献综述

 2022-09-03 22:51:34

An Analysis of Chinese and American Marital Conflicts

from the Perspective of Cultural Differences

(Chen Yameng, Jinghengyi Honored School, Hangzhou Normal University)

Marriage is sometimes considered to be the source of happiness and one of the greatest events in life. It is supported by the evidence that death rate of single men is nearly twice as great as the death rate of married men. (Ogburn, 1927) However, marriage as a commitment could not promise permanent stability and happiness.

  1. Inherent Changeability

A research carried out in six countries (Austria, Germany, Great Britain, USA, Ireland and Netherlands) indicated that all these countries but Germany showed a decline in agreement for the idea that “Married people are generally happier” (Zoya, 2010). An certain amount of married couples are experiencing or have come across with the marital conflicts. Couples who have exchanged solemn vows may find their rosy fancies about marriage fade away with daily trifles, because marriage is not something fixed but something alterable due to its inherent changeability.

  1. Cultural Factors

Besides the interior factors, some external factors like cultural differences of spouses may lead to marital conflicts, especially in cross-national marriage. Since different cultures are continuously exposed to each other, how the intercultural marriage and intimacy are accepted in our global society serves as the cultural parameters within which these dynamics occur. (John, James, Moore, 2011) And according to the 2010 U.S. Census, about 10 % of married couples across the United States included spouses from different races or nations. It seems that it is 'sunny in the cross-national marriage market.

However, Marriage across racial line is often perceived negatively by family, friends, and the community (Zebroski 1999) and as put forth by Romano in 2008, intermarriage couples will face pressure from their family, society and the difficulties concerning culture, parenting and language. Whatrsquo;s more, Steil et al suggest that, under most circumstances, the increasing rate of cross-national marriage is regarded as increased tolerance for diversity, but it also increases the possibility of cultural conflict within marriage.

  1. Differences of Chinese and American

Since cultural communication is unavoidable in romantic relationship, especially in cross-national groups, there are several cultural theories relating to cross-national marriage, such as Hofstedersquo;s (1984) theory about individualism and collectivism, which has affected the researches about romantic relationships (e.g., Dion amp; Dion, 1988, 1993). Based on that theory, Schmitt and his colleagues (Schmitt, 2006) find that individuals from East Asian score lower on emotional investment including passionate and love than those who come from the United States.

Additionally, in a 2001 national survey carried by the Gallup Organization for the National Marriage Project, 94% of unmarried young adults who are twenty to twenty-nine believe that “When you marry, you want a spouse to be your soul mate, first and foremost.” There are researches suggesting that in Asian cultures, romantic relationships are more likely to be possessed with pragmatic factors than American ones (e.g.,Sprecher amp; Toro, 2002; Wan, Luk, amp; Lai, 2000). Other studies have also indicated that love is downplayed as the basis for marriage in collectivistic cultures (Harrell, 1992).

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