Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T07:58:25.563Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

3 - Sociocultural Perspectives on Romantic Relationships

A View from the East and West

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2023

By
Susan E. Cross  and
MinJoo Joo
Edited by
Brian G. Ogolsky
Brian G. Ogolsky
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Get access

Summary

Cultural groups address the initiation, development, and maintenance of romantic relationships and marriage in diverse ways. Western values, beliefs, and populations have dominated theory and research, which has led to a relatively monocultural science of relationships. This chapter explores the developing literature on East Asian ways of thinking, feeling, and relating to suggest avenues for further investigation of culturally-defined relationships. We first focus on relatively broad social, ideological, and institutional factors that shape the East Asian Confucian cultural model of marriage in comparison to Western models of relationships. Then we review research linking distinctive East Asian ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving to culturally valued practices, attitudes, and behaviors in romantic relationships and marriage.

Keywords

cultureindividualismcollectivismAsiaEastWest
Type
Chapter
Information
The Sociocultural Context of Romantic Relationships , pp. 29 - 54
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alhuzail, N. A. (2022). The meaning of the marital relationship in the lives of three generations of Bedouin women. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 53(6), 683–702. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221221099593CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beichen, L., & Murshed, F. (2015). Culture, expressions of romantic love, and gift-giving. Journal of International Business Research, 14(1), 68.Google Scholar
Bejanyan, K., Marshall, T. C., & Ferenczi, N. (2014). Romantic ideals, mate preferences, and anticipation of future difficulties in marital life: A comparative studXy of young adults in India and America. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1355. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.20CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bello, R. S., Brandau-Brown, F. E., Zhang, S., & Ragsdale, J. D. (2010). Verbal and nonverbal methods for expressing appreciation in friendships and romantic relationships: A cross- cultural comparison. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34(3), 294–302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2010.02.007CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss: Volume II: Separation, anxiety and anger. In Attachment and loss: Volume II: Separation, anxiety and anger. The Hogarth Press and the Institute of Psycho-Analysis.Google Scholar
Brannon, T. N., Markus, H. R., & Taylor, V. J. (2015). “Two souls, two thoughts,” two self-schemas: Double consciousness can have positive academic consequences for African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(4), 586–609. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038992CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bravo, C. S., & Martinez, A. W. (2016). Profiles using indicators of marital communication, communication styles, and marital satisfaction in Mexican couples. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 43(4), 361–376. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623x.2016.1168332CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broman, C. L. (2002). Thinking of divorce, but staying married: The interplay of race and marital satisfaction. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 37(1–2), 151–161. https://doi.org/10.1300/J087v37n01_09CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, S. L., & Wright, M. R. (2019). Divorce attitudes among older adults: Two decades of change. Journal of Family Issues, 40(8), 1018–1037. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X19832936%22 https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X19832936CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burleson, B. R. (2003). The experience and effects of emotional support: What the study of cultural and gender differences can tell us about close relationships, emotion, and interpersonal communication. Personal Relationships, 10(1), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6811.00033CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buunk, A. P., Park, J. H., & Dubbs, S. L. (2008). Parent-offspring conflict in mate preferences. Review of General Psychology, 12(1), 47–62. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.12.1.47CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buunk, A. P., Park, J. H., & Duncan, L. A. (2010). Cultural variation in parental influence on mate choice. Cross-Cultural Research: The Journal of Comparative Social Science, 44(1), 23–40. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069397109337711CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caldwell-Harris, C., Kronrod, A., & Yang, J. (2013). Do more, say less: Saying “I love you” in Chinese and American cultures. Intercultural Pragmatics, 10(1), 41–69. https://doi.org/10.1515/ip-2013-0002CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campos, B., & Kim, H. S. (2017). Incorporating the cultural diversity of family and close relationships into the study of health. American Psychologist, 72(6), 543–554. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000122CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, D., & Tong, Y. (2021). Marriage for the sake of parents? Adult children’s marriage formation and parental psychological distress in China. Journal of Marriage and Family, 83(4), 1194–1211. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12749CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, R., Austin, J. P., Miller, J. K., & Piercy, F. P. (2015). Chinese and American individuals’ mate selection criteria: Updates, modifications, and extensions. Journal of Cross-cultural Psychology, 46(1), 101–118. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022114551793CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cherlin, A. J. (2004). The deinstitutionalization of American marriage. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66(4), 848–861.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chin, M. J., Lee, J., Lee, S., Son, S., & Sung, M. (2014). Family policy in S. Korea: Development, implementation, and evaluation. In Robila, M. (Ed.), Handbook of family policies across the Globe. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6771-7_20Google Scholar
Chiu, C., Hong, Y., & Dweck, C. S. (1997). Lay dispositionism and implicit theories of personality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(1), 19–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chu, G. C. (1985). The changing concept of self in contemporary China. In Marsella, A. J., deVos, G. & Hsu, F. L. K. (Eds.), Culture and self: Asian and western perspectives (pp. 252–277). Tavistock.Google Scholar
Cohen, D., & Kitayama, S. (2019). Handbook of cultural psychology (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Cross, S. E., & Lam, B. C. P. (2017). Cultural models of self: East-West differences and beyond. In Church, A. T. (Ed.), The Praeger handbook of personality across cultures (pp. 1–34). ABC-CLIO.Google Scholar
Cross, S. E., & Lam, B. C. P. (2018). Dialecticism in close relationships and marriage. In Spencer-Rodgers, J. & Peng, K. (Eds.), The psychological and cultural foundations of East Asian cognition (1st ed., pp. 353–381). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199348541.003.0012Google Scholar
Cross, S. E., Gore, J. S., & Morris, M. L. (2003). The relational-interdependent self-construal, self-concept consistency, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(5), 933–944. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.5.933CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
de Munck, V. C. (1998). Lust, Love, and arranged marriages in Sri Lanka. In de Munck, V. C. (Ed.), Romantic love and sexual behavior (pp. 285–300). Praeger.Google Scholar
Eastwick, P. W. (2013). Cultural influences on attraction. In Simpson, J. A. & Campbell, L. (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of close relationships (pp. 161–182, Chapter xvii, 846 Pages). Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Esteve, A., Castro-Martin, T., Castro Torres, A. F. (2022). Families in Latin America: Trends, singularities and contextual factors. Annual Review of Sociology, 48, 485–505.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Falconier, M. K., & Epstein, N. B. (2011). Female-demand/male-withdraw communication in Argentinian couples: A mediating factor between economic strain and relationship distress. Personal Relationships, 18, 586–603. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01326.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finkel, E. J., Hui, C. M., Carswell, K. L., & Larson, G. M. (2014). The suffocation of marriage: Climbing mount Maslow without enough oxygen. Psychological Inquiry, 25(1), 1–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2014.863723CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fletcher, G. J. O. (2015). Accuracy and bias of judgments in romantic relationships. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24(4), 292–297. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721415571664CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fletcher, G. J. O., & Kerr, P. S. G. (2010). Through the eyes of love: Reality and illusion in intimate relationships. Psychological Bulletin, 136(4), 627–658. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019792CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fonseca, A. L., Kamble, S., Duggi, D., Flores, M., & Butler, E. A. (2018). Daily emotion regulation in American and Asian-Indian romantic couples. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 49(4), 487–512.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gager, C. T., & Sanchez, L. (2003). Two as one? Couples’ perceptions of time spent together, marital quality, and the risk of divorce. Journal of Family Issues, 24(1), 21–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X02238519CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gao, G., Ting-Toomey, S., & Gudykunst, W. B. (1996). Chinese communication processes. In Bond, M. H. (Ed.), The handbook of Chinese psychology (pp. 280–293). Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Gautier, A. (2020). Family law across cultures (comparative family law). In Halford, W. K. & van de Vijver, F. (Eds.), Cross-cultural family research and practice (pp. 143–184). Elsevier Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gelfand, M. J. (2018). Rule makers, rule breakers: How tight and loose cultures wire our world. Scribner.Google Scholar
Gelfand, M. J., Raver, J. L., Nishii, L., Leslie, L. A., Lun, J., Lim, B. C., Duan, L., Almaliach, A., Ang, S., Arnadottir, J., Aycan, Z., Boehnke, K., Boski, P., Cabecinhas, R., Chan, D., Chhokar, J., D’Amato, A., Ferrer, M., Fischlmayr, I. C., … Yamaguchi, S. (2011). Differences between tight and loose cultures: A 33-nation study. Science, 332(6033), 1100–1104. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1197754CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gillath, O., & Keefer, L. A. (2016). Generalizing disposability: Residential mobility and the willingness to dissolve social ties. Personal Relationships, 23(2), 186–198. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12119CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goetz, J. L., Spencer-Rodgers, J., & Peng, K. (2008). Dialectical emotions: How cultural epistemologies influence the experience and regulation of emotional complexity. In Sorrentino, R. M. & Yamaguchi, S. (Eds.), Handbook of motivation and cognition across cultures (pp. 517–538). Elsevier Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodwin, R., & Findlay, C. (1997). “We were just fated together”… Chinese love and the concept of yuan in England and Hong Kong. Personal Relationships, 4(1), 85–92. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.1997.tb00132.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenberg, L. S., & Goldman, R. N. (2008). Emotion-focused couples therapy: The dynamics of emotion, love, and power. American Psychological Association.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guo, Q., Li, Y., & Yu, S. (2017). In-law and mate preferences in Chinese society and the role of traditional cultural values. Evolutionary Psychology, 15(3), 1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hewitt, B., & Churchill, B. (2020). Convergence and difference: Marriage and family life from a cross-cultural perspective. In Halford, W. K. and van de Vijver, F. (Eds.), Cross-cultural family research and practice (pp. 57–102). Elsevier Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hiew, D. N., Halford, W. K., van de Vijver, F. J. R., & Liu, S. (2015). The Chinese–Western intercultural couple standards scale. Psychological Assessment, 27(3), 816. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000090CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ho, D. (1996). Filial piety and its psychological consequences. In Bond, M. H. (Ed.), The handbook of Chinese psychology (pp. 155–165). Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s consequences: Comparing values, behaviors, institutions, and organizations across nations (2nd ed.). Sage.Google Scholar
Horowitz, J., Graf, N., & Livingston, G. (2019, November 6). “Marriage and cohabitation in the U.S. Pew Research Center.” Downloaded from www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/11/06/marriage-and-cohabitation-in-the-u-s/Google Scholar
Hsu, F. L. K. (1963). Clan, caste, club. D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc.Google Scholar
Huston, T. L., Caughlin, J. P., Houts, R. M., Smith, S. E., & George, L. J. (2001). The connubial crucible: Newlywed years as predictors of marital delight, distress, and divorce. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80(2), 237. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.80.2.237CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hwang, K. K., & Han, K. H. (2010). Face and morality in Confucian society. In Bond, M. H. (Ed.), The handbook of Chinese psychology (pp. 479–498). Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Hwang, S. H. (2014). Family policies in Taiwan: Development, implementation, and assessment. In Robila, M. (Ed.), Handbook of family policies across the globe (pp. 273–287). Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ikels, C. (2004). Filial piety: Practice and discourse in contemporary East Asia. Stanford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iqbal, S., Ayub, N., van de Vijver, F., & Halford, W. K. (2019). Couple relationship standards in Pakistan. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 8(4), 208–220. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000124CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iwao, S. (1993). The Japanese woman: Traditional image and changing reality. Free Press.Google Scholar
Jankowiak, W., Shen, Y., Yao, S., Wang, C., & Volsche, S. (2015). Investigating love’s universal attributes: A research report from China. Cross-Cultural Research, 49(4), 422–436.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ji, Y. C. (2015). Between tradition and modernity: “Leftover” women in Shanghai. Journal of Marriage and Family, 77(5), 1057–1073.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jin, X., & Guo, Q. (2011). Intergenerational economic support of unmarried male in rural area. Northwest Population, 32(4), 38–42.Google Scholar
Joo, M. J. (2021). Structural and functional differences in support in close relationships between the East Asian and the Western cultural contexts. Iowa State University.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joo, M. J., Lam, B. C. P., Cross, S. E., Chen, S. X., Lau, V. C. Y., Ng, H. K. Y., & Gunsoy, C. (2022). Cross-cultural perspectives on self-change in close relationships: Evidence from Hong Kong Chinese and European Americans. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 48(7), 1118–1133. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672211026129CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnson, M. D., Nguyen, L., Anderson, J. R., Liu, W., & Vennum, A. (2015). Pathways to romantic relationship success among Chinese young adult couples: Contributions of family dysfunction, mental health problems, and negative couple interaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 32(1), 5–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, M. P. (1991). Commitment to personal relationships. In Jones, W. H. & Perlman, D. W. (Eds.), Advances in personal relationships (Vol. 3, pp. 117–143). Jessica Kingsley.Google Scholar
Johnson, M. P., Caughlin, J. P., & Huston, T. L. (1999). The tripartite nature of marital commitment: Personal, moral, and structural reasons to stay married. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61(1), 160–177.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kalmijn, M. (2007). Explaining cross-national differences in marriage, cohabitation, and divorce in Europe, 1990–2000. Population Studies, 61(3), 243–263. https://doi.org/10.1080/0032472070157180CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karandashev, V. (2017). Romantic love in cultural contexts. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-42683-9_8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karney, B. R., & Bradbury, T. N. (1995). The longitudinal course of marital quality and stability: A review of theory, methods, and research. Psychological Bulletin, 118(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.118.1.3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keller, H., Lamm, B., Abels, M., Yovsi, R., Borke, J., Jensen, H., Papaligoura, Z., Holub, C., Lo, W., Tomiyama, A. J., Su, Y., Wang, Y., & Chaudhary, N. (2006). Cultural models, socialization goals, and parenting ethnotheories: A multicultural analysis. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 37(2), 155–172. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022105284494CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kephart, W. M. (1967). Some correlates of romantic love. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 29(3), 470–474. https://doi.org/10.2307/349585CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kitayama, S., & Uskul, A. K. (2011). Culture, mind, and the brain: Current evidence and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 62(1), 419–449. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120709-145357CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kito, M., Yuki, M., & Thomson, R. (2017). Relational mobility and close relationships: A socioecological approach to explain cross-cultural differences. Personal Relationships, 24(1), 114–130. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12174CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knee, C. R., Hadden, B. W., Porter, B., & Rodriguez, L. M. (2013). Self-determination theory and romantic relationship processes. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 17(4), 307–324. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868313498000CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lalonde, R. N., Hynie, M., Pannu, M., & Tatla, S. (2004). The role of culture in interpersonal relationships: Do second generation South Asian Canadians want a traditional partner? Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 35(5), 503–524. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022104268386CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lam, B. C. P., Cross, S. E., Wu, T. F., Yeh, Wang, Y. C., & Su, J. C. (2016). What do you want in a marriage? Examining marriage ideals in Taiwan and the United States. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 42(6), 703–722. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167216637842CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le, B., Dove, N. L., Agnew, C. R., Korn, M. S., & Mutso, A. A. (2010). Predicting nonmarital romantic relationship dissolution: A meta-analytic synthesis. Personal Relationships, 17(3), 377–390. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01285.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, G. R., & Stone, L. H. (1980). Mate-selection systems and criteria: Variation according to family structure. Journal of Marriage and Family, 42(2), 319–326. https://doi.org/10.2307/351229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lesthaeghe, R. J. (2020). The second demographic transition: Cohabitation. In Halford, W. K. & van de Vijver, F. (Eds.), Cross-cultural family research and practice (pp. 103–141). Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levine, R., Sato, S., Hashimoto, T., & Verma, J. (1995). Love and marriage in eleven cultures. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 26(5), 554–571.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, L. M. W., Adams, G., Kurtiş, T., & Hamamura, T. (2015). Beware of friends: The cultural psychology of relational mobility and cautious intimacy. Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 18(2), 124–133. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajsp.12091CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liu, J., Bell, E., & Zhang, J. (2019). Conjugal intimacy, gender and modernity in contemporary China. The British Journal of Sociology, 70(1), 283–305.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98(2), 224–253. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.98.2.224CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (2010). Cultures and selves: A cycle of mutual constitution. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(4), 420–430. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691610375557CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marshall, T. C. (2008). Cultural differences in intimacy: The influence of gender-role ideology and individualism–collectivism. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 25(1), 143–168. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407507086810CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Masuda, T., Russell, M. J., Li, L. M. W., & Lee, H. (2019). Cognition and perception. In Cohen, D. & Kitayama, S. (Eds.), Handbook of cultural psychology (2nd ed., pp. 222–245). The Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Morelli, G. A., Chaudhary, N., Gottlieb, A., Keller, H., Murray, M., Quinn, N., Rosabal-Coto, M., Scheidecker, G., Takada, A., & Vicedo, M. (2017). A pluralistic approach to attachment. In Keller, H. & Bard, K. (Eds.), The cultural nature of attachment: Contextualizing relationships and development (pp. 140–169). The MIT Press.Google Scholar
Morling, B., Kitayama, S., & Miyamoto, Y. (2002). Cultural practices emphasize influence in the United States and adjustment in Japan. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28(3), 311–323. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167202286003CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, S. L., Holmes, J. G., & Griffin, D. W. (1996a). The benefits of positive illusions: Idealization and the construction of satisfaction in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.70.1.79CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, S. L., Holmes, J. G., & Griffin, D. W. (1996b). The self-fulfilling nature of positive illusions in romantic relationships: love is not blind, but prescient. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71(6), 1155. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.71.6.1155CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Navarre, B., & Trimble, M. (2021). “Same-sex marriage legalization by country.” U.S. News. Downloaded from www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/countries-where-same-sex-marriage-is-legalGoogle Scholar
Nisbett, R. E. (2003). The geography of thought: How Asians and Westerners think differently, and why. Free Press.Google Scholar
Nwoye, A. (2000). Building on the indigenous: Theory and method of marriage therapy in contemporary eastern and western Africa. Journal of Family Therapy, 22(4), 347–359. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6427.00157CrossRefGoogle Scholar
OECD Family Database. (2020). www.oecd.org/els/family/SF_2_4_Share_births_outside_marriage.pdfGoogle Scholar
Ortiz-Ospina, E.& Roser, M. (2020).“Marriages and divorces”. Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: https://ourworldindata.org/marriages-and-divorces [Online Resource]Google Scholar
Osei-Tutu, A., Affram, A. A., & Dzokoto, V. A. (2021). “I reported my wife to her mother…” An analysis of transgressions within child- and parent-in-law relationships in Ghana. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 52, 94–116 . https://doi.org/10.3138/jcfs.52.1.007CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Overall, N. C. (2012). The costs and benefits of trying to change intimate partners. In Noller, P. & Karantas, G. C. (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of couples and family relationships (pp. 234–247). Wiley-Balckwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444354119.ch16CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Park, H., & Hong, H. (2012). Korean life history. Korea National Open University Press.Google Scholar
Peng, K., & Nisbett, R. E. (1999). Culture, dialectics, and reasoning about contradiction. American Psychologist, 54(9), 741–754. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.9.741CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quinn, N., & Holland, D. (1987). Culture and cognition. In Holland, D. & Quinn, N. (Eds.), Cultural models in language and thought (Vol. 1, pp. 3–40). Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raymo, J. M., Park, H., Xie, Y. & Yeung, W-J. J. (2015), Marriage and family in East Asia: Continuity and change. Annual Review of Sociology, 41, 471–492. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-073014-112428CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rodrigues, A. E., Hall, J. H., & Fincham, F. D. (2013). What predicts divorce and relationship dissolution? In Fine, M. A. & Harvey, J. H. (Eds), Handbook of divorce and relationship dissolution (pp. 101–128). Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Rothbaum, F., Pott, M., Azuma, H., Miyake, K., & Weisz, J. (2000). The development of close relationships in Japan and the United States: Paths of symbiotic harmony and generative tension. Child Development, 71(5), 1121–1142. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00214CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rothbaum, F., Rosen, K., Ujiie, T., & Uchida, N. (2002). Family systems theory, attachment theory and culture. Family Process, 41(3), 328–350. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2002.41305.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rybak, A., & McAndrew, F. T. (2006). How do we decide whom our friends are? Defining levels of friendship in Poland and the United States. The Journal of Social Psychology, 146(2), 147–163. https://doi.org/10.3200/SOCP.146.2.147-163CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sadeghi, M. S., Mazaheri, D. A., Motabi, D. F., & Zahedi, K. (2012). Marital interaction in Iranian couples: Examining the role of culture. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 43, 281–300. https://doi.org/10.3138/jcfs.43.2.281CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salter, P. S., & Adams, G. (2012). Mother or wife? An African dilemma tale and the psychological dynamics of sociocultural change. Social Psychology, 43(4), 232–242. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000124CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Samter, W., Whaley, B. B., Mortenson, S. T., & Burleson, B. R. (1997). Ethnicity and emotional support in same-sex friendship: A comparison of Asian-Americans, African-Americans, and Euro-Americans. Personal Relationships, 4(4), 413–430. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.1997.tb00154.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmitt, D. P. (2004). The Big Five related to risky sexual behaviour across 10 world regions: Differential personality associations of sexual promiscuity and relationship infidelity. European Journal of Personality, 18(4), 301–319. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.520CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmitt, D. P. (2005). Fundamentals of human mating strategies. In Buss, D. M. (Ed.), The handbook of evolutionary psychology (pp. 258–291). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Google Scholar
Schmitt, D. P. (2010). Romantic attachment from Argentina to Zimbabwe: Patterns of adaptive variation across contexts, cultures, and local ecologies. In Erdman, P. & Ng, K. (Eds.), Attachment: Expanding the cultural connections; attachment (pp. 211–226). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.Google Scholar
Schoebi, D., Wang, Z., Ababkov, V., & Perrez, M. (2010). Affective interdependence in married couples’ daily lives: Are there cultural differences in partner effects of anger? Family Science, 1(2), 83–92. https://doi.org/10.1080/19424620903471681CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schug, J., Yuki, M., & Maddux, W. (2010). Relational mobility explains between- and within-culture differences in self-disclosure to close friends. Psychological Science, 21(10), 1471–1478. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797610382786CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shaver, P. R., Wu, S., & Schwartz, J. C. (1992). Cross-cultural similarities and differences in emotion and its representation. In Clark, M. S. (Ed.), Emotion (pp. 175–212). Sage Publications, Inc.Google Scholar
Shiota, M. N., Campos, B., Gonzaga, G. C., Keltner, D., & Peng, K. (2010). I love you but…: Cultural differences in complexity of emotional experience during interaction with a romantic partner. Cognition and Emotion, 24(5), 786–799. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930902990480CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shweder, R. A., Balle-Jensen, L., & Goldstein, W. (2003). Who sleeps by whom revisited. In Shweder, R. A. (Ed.), Why do men barbecue? (pp. 46–73). Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Soumuchou, S. T. H. (1987). Nippon no kodomo to hahaoya. [Children and mothers in Japan.] Okurashou Insatsu Kyoku.Google Scholar
Sprecher, S., Aron, A., Hatfield, E., Cortese, A., Potapova, E., & Levitskaya, A. (1994). Love: American style, Russian style, and Japanese style. Personal Relationships, 1(4), 349–369. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.1994.tb00070.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sprecher, S., Sullivan, Q., & Hatfield, E. (1994). Mate selection preferences: Gender differences examined in a national sample. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66(6), 1074. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.66.6.1074CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Švab, A., Rener, T., & Kuhar, M. (2012). Behind and beyond hajnal’s line: Families and family life in Slovenia. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 43(3), 419–437.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Therborn, G. (2004a). Between sex and power: Family in the world, 1900–2000. Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Therborn, G. (2004b). African families in a Global context. Nordiska Afrikainstitutet.Google Scholar
Therborn, G. (2006). Family’s in today’s world- and tomorrow’s, international. Journal of Health Services, 36(3), 593–603.Google Scholar
Therborn, G. (2014). Family systems of the world: Are they converging? In Treas, J., Scott, J., and Richards, M. (Eds.), Wiley Blackwell companion to the sociology of families (pp. 3–19). John Wiley.Google Scholar
Thornton, A. (2005). Reading history sideways: The fallacy and enduring impact of the developmental paradigm on family life. The University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thornton, A., & Young-DeMarco, L. (2001). Four decades of trends in attitudes toward family issues in the United States: The 1960s through the 1990s. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 63(4), 1009–1037.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tsai, J. L., & Clobert, M. (2019). Cultural influences on emotion: Established patterns and emerging trends. In Cohen, D. & Kitayama, S. (Eds.), Handbook of cultural psychology (2nd ed., pp. 292–318, Chapter xiii, 930 Pages). The Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Tsai, J. L., Knutson, B., & Fung, H. H. (2006). Cultural variation in affect valuation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90(2), 288–307. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.90.2.288CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tsai, J. L., Levenson, R. W., & McCoy, K. (2006). Cultural and temperamental variation in emotional response. Emotion, 6(3), 484–497. https://doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.6.3.484CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
US Census Bureau. (2020). Marital status in the United States. https://statisticalatlas.com/United-States/Marital-Status.Google Scholar
Vazhappily, J. J., & Reyes, M. E. (2016). Couples’ communication as a predictor of marital satisfaction among selected Filipino couples. Psychological Studies, 61(4), 301–306. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-016-0375-5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vignoli, D., Matysiak, A., Styrc, M. & Tocchioni, V. (2018). The positive impact of women’s employment on divorce: Context, selection, or anticipation? Demographic Research, 38, 1059–1109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, C. D. C., & Mallinckrodt, B. S. (2006). Differences between Taiwanese and US cultural beliefs about ideal adult attachment. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(2), 192–204. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.2.192CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, C. T. L., & Schofer, E. (2018). Coming out of the penumbras: World culture and cross-national variation in divorce rates. Social Forces, 97(2), 675–704. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/soy070CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, D. & Xia, Y. (2020). Couple relationships in China. In Abela, A. et al. (Eds.), Couple relationships in a global context (pp. 107–124). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37712-0_7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wei, M., Russell, D. W., Mallinckrodt, B., & Zakalik, R. A. (2004). Cultural equivalence of adult attachment across four ethnic groups: Factor structure, structured means, and associations with negative mood. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51(4), 408–417. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.51.4.408CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williamson, H. C., Ju, X., Bradbury, T. N., Karney, B. R., Fang, X., & Liu, X. (2012). Communication behavior and relationship satisfaction among American and Chinese newlywed couples. Journal of Family Psychology, 26(3), 308–315. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027752CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wu, M. S., Li, B., Zhu, L., & Zhou, C. (2019). Culture change and affectionate communication in China and the United States: Evidence from Google digitized books 1960–2008. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1110. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.20CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wu, T.-F., Cross, S. E., Wu, C.-W., Cho, W., & Tey, S.-H. (2016). Choosing your mother or your spouse: Close relationship dilemmas in Taiwan and the United States. Journal of Cross-cultural Psychology, 47(4), 558–580. DOI: 10.1177/0022022115625837CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xia, Y., & Zhou, Z. (2003). Chinese mate selection. In Hamon, R. R. & Ingoldsby, B. B. (Eds.), Couple formation across cultures (pp. 231–246). SageGoogle Scholar
Xu, A. (2017). The establishment and dissolution of marriage. In Xu, A., DeFrain, J., & Liu, W. (Eds.), The Chinese family today (pp. 129–168). Routledge.Google Scholar
Xu, A., & Xia, Y. (2014). The changes in mainland Chinese families during the social transition: A critical analysis. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 45(1), 31–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xu, A., & Ye, W. (1999). Research on marital quality in China. Social Sciences Publication House.Google Scholar
Xu, A., DeFrain, J., & Liu, W. (2017). The Chinese family today. Routledge.Google Scholar
Yang, T., Poon, A. W. C., & Breckenridge, J. (2018). Estimating the prevalence of intimate partner violence in mainland China – Insights and challenges. Journal of Family Violence, 34(2), 93–105CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yeh, K.-H. (2003). The beneficial and harmful effects of filial piety: An integrative analysis. In Yang, K. S., Hwang, K. K., Pederson, P. B., & Daibo, I. (Eds.), Asian social psychology: Conceptual and empirical contributions (pp. 67–82). Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.Google Scholar
Yilmaz, C., Selcuk, E., Gunaydin, G., Cingöz-Ulu, B., Filiztekin, A., & Kent, O. (2022). You mean the world to me: The role of residential mobility in centrality of romantic relationships. Social Psychological and Personality Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/19485506211061017CrossRefGoogle Scholar
You, H. S., & Malley-Morrison, K. (2000). Young adult attachment styles and intimate relationships with close friends a cross-cultural study of Koreans and Caucasian Americans. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 31(4), 528–534. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022100031004006CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yum, Y. (2000). Cross-cultural comparisons of links among relational maintenance behaviors, exchange factors, and individual characteristics in close relationships. The Pennsylvania State University.Google Scholar
Zeifman, D., & Hazan, C. (2008). Pair bonds as attachments: Reevaluating the evidence. In Cassidy, J. & Shaver, P. R. (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (pp. 436–455). The Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Zhang, C., Wang, X., & Zhang, D. (2014). Urbanization, unemployment rate and China’s rising divorce rate. Chinese Journal of Population Resources and Environment, 12(2), 157–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, S., & Kline, S. (2009). Can I make my own decision? A cross-cultural study of social network influence in mate selection. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 40(1), 3–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, S., & Kline, S. (2020). Couple communication in a cross-cultural perspective. In Halford, W. K. & van de Vijver, F. (Eds.), Cross-cultural family research and practice (pp. 211–247). Elsevier Inc.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhou, P. (2017). Love. In Zhou, X. (Ed)., Inner experience of the Chinese people (pp. 113–122). Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×