Discuss the nature of relationships in different cultures. One way in which relationships differ in different cultures is the degree to which they are voluntary or non-voluntary. In many Western cultures, people live in mainly urban settings with easy geographical and social mobility. This allows people to voluntarily interact with a large number of people, both acquaintances and strangers. This then means that in Western cultures because there are more people there is a higher degree of choice on romantic relationships.
In collectivist cultures, such as Pakistan or Thailand, more value is placed on the ‘we’ than the ‘I’. The desires of particular individuals are considered less important than ties between, and responsibilities to, collective units such as families and communities. In their social relationships, members of collectivist cultures are encouraged to be interdependent rather than autonomous, and marriage is often seen more as a union between families than a union between individuals. Various factors affect how relationships are formed, including the geographical and social mobility, and the degree of choice. In many Western, industrialized societies, people enjoy considerable geographical and social mobility.
He argues that Bowlby and Ainsworth promote the view that secure attachment was related to caregiver responsiveness and sensitivity, however, this is a Western idea of autonomy, whereas in Japan, sensitivity is about promoting dependence rather than independence. Therefore, as Sensitivity has the opposite objective in the two cultures, comparisons become very
Describe and evaluate research (explanations or studies) relating to the differences between relationships in Western and non western cultures. (24 marks) Sub-cultural differences are those which are found within a particular culture, society or country. There are considerable differences in the way in which people see relations, how they are formed, and the notion of relationships within western and non western cultures. For example whilst Western cultures place great emphasis on the desirability of romantic love in dyads, most non western cultures attach greater emphasis to family ties and responsibilities noted by Segall (1992). Culture has been defined by Hofstede (1994) by way of computing analogy when he says it is ‘the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes one group or category of people from another’.
Emphasis is placed on freedom, thus such cultures have high levels of mobility. In Non-Western societies however, they are less mobile and there is less opportunity to interact with new people. This is reflected in relationships, which in the West, tend to be down to the free choice of the individual but in Non-Western societies are often linked to family ties and economic resources. There is research evidence found that suggests arranged marriages can work well in such societies. For example, Myers reports that Indian women from arranged marriages reported no less marital satisfaction than non-arranged marriages in the US.
It may be difficult for outsider negotiators to establish relationships of confidence and trust with members of these national cultures. Hofstede (1980) identified the United States, Scandinavia, and Singapore as having a higher tolerance for uncertainty. Members of these national cultures tend to value risk-taking, problem-solving, flat organizational structures, and tolerance for ambiguity. It may be easier for outsiders to establish trusting relationships with negotiating partners in these cultural contexts. The national culture of a member also differs in terms of the dimensions of individualism/collectivism.
Having said that, these ideologies may reflect a bias to serve the interests of this particular dominant order, rather than benefit an entire group. Some ideologies are established on more realistic grounds and can easily be put into practise, whereas others that are somewhat unrealistic are then less practical. 3 Core Elements Ideologies differ from one another because they are based on separate sets of ideas or have different core elements. In order to distinguish between these ideologies - liberalism, Marxism
However, Inglis later goes on to emphasize that due to the blurry line between cultural distinctions, people in modern day society tend to blend and mix together all sorts of cultural practices to suit their interests instead of adhering to a set, distinct culture. While the retention of “high” and “low” cultures has helped the advancement of culture in the past, the rejection of this classification in today’s society is the logical choice. Despite the many mixed opinions regarding this topic, if you were to ask Theodor Adorno in the 20th century whether he thought the previously mentioned form of high culture existed in society, he would give a very confident and pronounced “yes”. To Adorno, “high” culture “involves the best works of art that have ever been produced.” He believed art that is “high” culture is intrinsically better and composed of a better quality than all other art of its kind. For example, if you were to compare classical music against a modern pop song, he would likely hail the classical work as musically dynamic, sophisticated, and refined, while dismissing the pop song with an upturned nose.
Culture can be defined as that set of values and beliefs, norms and customs, and rules and codes that socially define groups of people. Cultures differ in some fundamental ways: Basic philosophical differences about religion and the nature of the universe contribute to a culture’s overall worldview. Also in terms of locus of control: Control cultures believe in an internal locus of control; they feel that people control their own destinies; "Don’t let anything stand in your way" might be a motto.
The political attitude that is most likely to influence a relationship is a person’s values and morals, and this is because values and morals define what an individual believes is right and wrong, having a strong effect on lifestyle and family choices. Race is a deciding factor in both party identification and in partner choice along with how individuals were raised. I believe that moral values, degree of church attendance, and racial background have a much larger impact on partner choice than the couple’s parties of choice. As stated in the prompt, Flanigan and Zingale argue that, “most people care little about politics, and it plays a small part in their personal relationships”, but later states that, “ordinarily, primary groups do not tolerate high levels of political tension and conflict” (Flanigan and Zingale, 120). Drawing on my knowledge of American political behavior, the first statement is very clear and I believe to be true, but the second statement is slightly confusing with its use of the word “tolerate”.