Critically consider the extent to which relationships have been shown to be different in Western and non-Western cultures
Critically consider the extent to which relationships have been shown to be different in Western and non-Western cultures
Relationships can differ hugely from one person to the next, this can be due to numerous factors; one of these being culture. In a Western culture, ideals are inflicted on individuals which lead to a certain type of relationship present for the majority, as is the case in non-Western cultures. Obvious differences between cultures may include religion, which in turn could lead to arranged marriage, hence affecting the formation of a relationship.
During the formation of a relationship, proximity appears to be a influential factor, as suggested by Festinger et al. Western cultures tend to exist with relatively easy social mobility, meaning interaction occurs between individuals more frequently. This is not so much the case in non-Western cultures therefore allowing proximity to affect relationships differently. This allows people in Western cultures to interact and form relationships far quicker than those formed in non-Western relationships. This also suggests that individuals in a Western society have a far greater choice of people with whom a relationship could be formed. This leads to a critical difference; Western relationships are voluntary whereas non-Western relationships are involuntary. This creates different ideas surrounding the formation of relations as non-Western cultures may tend towards arranged marriages whereas Western relationships tend to form due to love. However, Epstein found that 'love' appears to be present in about half of arranged relationships, showing that this difference in formation does not necessarily affect the emotions felt be either party later in the relationship. Gupta and Singh found that ten years into a marriage, arranged marriages tended to retain a constant level of 'love' within the relationship, whereas this was not the case in love marriages. However, this study was longitudinal and also reliant on Rubin's love scale which may have been ambiguous as levels of love cannot really be measured. As with many experiments regarding relationships, this was a natural experiment meaning there may have been other factors which weren't identified.
Relationships can differ hugely from one person to the next, this can be due to numerous factors; one of these being culture. In a Western culture, ideals are inflicted on individuals which lead to a certain type of relationship present for the majority, as is the case in non-Western cultures. Obvious differences between cultures may include religion, which in turn could lead to arranged marriage, hence affecting the formation of a relationship.
During the formation of a relationship, proximity appears to be a influential factor, as suggested by Festinger et al. Western cultures tend to exist with relatively easy social mobility, meaning interaction occurs between individuals more frequently. This is not so much the case in non-Western cultures therefore allowing proximity to affect relationships differently. This allows people in Western cultures to interact and form relationships far quicker than those formed in non-Western relationships. This also suggests that individuals in a Western society have a far greater choice of people with whom a relationship could be formed. This leads to a critical difference; Western relationships are voluntary whereas non-Western relationships are involuntary. This creates different ideas surrounding the formation of relations as non-Western cultures may tend towards arranged marriages whereas Western relationships tend to form due to love. However, Epstein found that 'love' appears to be present in about half of arranged relationships, showing that this difference in formation does not necessarily affect the emotions felt be either party later in the relationship. Gupta and Singh found that ten years into a marriage, arranged marriages tended to retain a constant level of 'love' within the relationship, whereas this was not the case in love marriages. However, this study was longitudinal and also reliant on Rubin's love scale which may have been ambiguous as levels of love cannot really be measured. As with many experiments regarding relationships, this was a natural experiment meaning there may have been other factors which weren't identified.
