THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES ON ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS CULTURE?

A notion or concept, originating from a specific region, that

comprises certain social norms, behaviours and institutions

of human societies, including the beliefs, knowledge,

customs, arts, habits, laws and abilities of the people

belonging to these societies, is known as culture. The culture

of a particular region is often regarded as the distinguishing

feature of the individuals living there.

The elements of culture are found in music, dance, art,

architecture, rituals, technology, religion, cooking, shelter,

clothing, social organization, mythology, literature,

philosophy and science in all human societies, which are

passed on through social learning.     

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF CULTURE IN OUR LIVES?

Culture is very deeply related to mankind. Man has created

culture, but at the same time, culture is the identity of man.

It has shown the path for men as to how to lead their lives

more meaningfully. Culture has shaped our lives in the

following ways:

• Dialect- Dialect is one of the most important aspects of

communicating our thoughts and expressing our persona, it

transfers values, knowledge, cultural understanding and

customs through generations.

• Traditions and Rituals- Traditions and rituals form an

essential part of culture and society that provide stability,

along with practices such as certain customs, holidays, social

bias, etc. which can differ according to various cultures.

• Religion- Culture and religion are entwined with each

other since religion creates our values and morals, rituals

and laws and instils feelings of attachment in humans for

their society and culture.

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• Art- All forms of art, like music, dance, theatre and

literature, are closely associated with culture by expressing

awareness, cultural knowledge, values and recognition

through entertainment and fun.

• Education- Education, whether in school, college,

university, or self-study, holds significance in moulding one’s

culture since being educated and knowledgeable helps them

understand the world that develops their values and morals.

• Family- The family should be credited with instilling

cultural values, customs and practices among family

members and such family values and traditions are acquired

through socialization.

• Material Culture- Material Culture, like the tools,

apparel, dwellings and other objects and artefacts created

and used by the people of a certain culture, indicates their

opinions, beliefs and customs as well as their history and

future advancements.

s.

• Financial Systems- Financial systems like socialism and

capitalism have an enormous effect on culture as they

determine how resources are distributed and how societies

are established.

• Political Systems- Culture is also largely influenced by

political systems like democracy and autocracy, as these

define the dispersal of resources and the formation of

societies.

• Technology- In the fast-developing world of present

time, technology has emerged as a game changer by making

revolutionary modifications in entertainment,

communication and commerce, thereby remoulding cultural

practices and beliefs. 

WHAT ARE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES?

The diverse faiths, beliefs, dialects, behaviours, customs,

countenances and mannerisms that are the typical traits of

people belonging to a particular ethnicity, race, or national

origin are regarded as cultural differences. Cultural

differences are of the following types:

Multicultural: In a multicultural society, people of many

ethnic or cultural groups coexist together but generally keep

themselves away from getting involved with each other.

Cross-cultural: In cross-cultural society, different cultures

are usually compared and the dissimilarities between the

cultures are accepted and recognized. Here, one particular

culture is taken as the standard one and acknowledged as

dominant, while the other cultures are compared to the

dominant culture.

Intercultural: In an intercultural society, a profound

awareness, respect and appreciation for all cultures exist.

Here, the communication of various cultures is based on

sharing knowledge, cultural rituals and traditions. Thus,

members of different cultures develop close bonds between

them while learning, changing and growing together.

WHAT ARE THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS?

When two individuals belonging to different cultures get into

a romantic relationship, the differences they face while

interacting with each other due to their disparities in dialect,

religion, values, rituals, beliefs, etc. are known as cultural

differences.

Since our childhood, we have been brought up in a certain

culture, which impacts our:

• sense of correct behaviour, mannerisms and self-esteem

• developing a sense of morality, immorality and ethics

• ambitions and passion

• our knowledge of birth, life and death

• perceiving our own positions in society.

However, in the period of globalization, people of various

cultures have come closer and are living together in

multicultural, cross-cultural and intercultural societies. As a

result, it has become very common for people belonging to

different cultures to fall in love with each other, which has

made them encounter many obstacles and possibilities in

their lives that help them to grow extensively. Additionally,

such unions of different cultures, despite confronting many

challenges, also get enriched by their diverse characteristics.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN CULTURE THAT CAN COME AS BARRIERS IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS?

People with diverse cultural backgrounds often face some

challenges when they are romantically involved with each

other:

Lifestyle Discords:

It includes certain disagreements in our lives, like-

• Outfits- The choice of outfits and clothes for an

individual depends on culture.

.

• Food and Drinks- People of various cultures have their

own preferred diet and drinks, especially their views on the

intake of alcoholic beverages, which differ a lot.

• Domestic chores- Disputes often arise during the

sharing of household chores among couples due to their

different opinions on gender roles.

• Money- Money can become a big issue among couples of

different cultural backgrounds since they have their own

separate views on valuing, spending and dealing with their

financial resources.

Differences in Religious Beliefs:

The conflicts arising between couples of different religions

are-

• Contradictory Beliefs- Chances of disagreements

between couples can occur owing to their varying religious

beliefs, faith and values.

• Non-Supportive Family Members- In many cultures,

maintaining and preserving one’s religion is a top priority.

Again, in some cultures, arranged marriages hold

significance. But in the era of globalization, when people of

different cultures and religions get into amorous

relationships without their families’ approval, they face

tremendous opposition from their families, where they are

compelled to select between their spouses or families.

• Upbringing of Children- Many disagreements crop up

during the upbringing of a child whose parents belong to

different religions. They often get into a dilemma of whether

to teach their child about both religions or let him decide

when he grows up, or else they will select any one religion

for him.

• Guilty Conscience- Our values, beliefs, faith and ideas

that we imbibe during our growing-up years remain within us

throughout our lifetime. But when a couple gets into a cross-

cultural relationship, a guilty conscience may arise in one of

them, who will feel bitter and have a grudge against the

other partner for making them lose or change their faith and

ideologies, which they have inherited from their parents.

  

Disparities in Dialect:

Our dialect or language is an important part of

communication, but in the case of love, it never poses a

barrier since the glances and gestures speak a thousand

words for the couple. Through these, they can feel their

intense feelings for each other. However, in most cases, any

one partner has some ability to speak the mother tongue of

the other. Though it is not necessary to understand the

mother tongue for a happy relationship, not having a shared

common dialect may lead to certain challenges:

• Hilarity- Our fun, hilarity and light-heartedness come

through cracking jokes and humorous conversations. But

when your partner does not understand your language, your

jokes become meaningless to them. So, a life with your

partner without the hilarity or fun factor is quite difficult to

cope with.

•   Exasperation- In a romantic relationship, you always

want to remain closer to your partner, but disparity in

language may come as a hindrance to your intimacy, which

can cause a lot of exasperation as time passes.

• Misjudgments and Misunderstandings- Our language

is the key through which we advise, instruct and articulate

our emotions. But due to the language barrier, if you are

unable to interpret your thoughts, it may cause an unwanted

misunderstanding, creating a rift with your partner.

.

• Detachment- A person feels very detached when he is

not capable of communicating with his partner’s family and

friends. Thus, he feels that he doesn’t have the ability to

prove himself as a good match. Or, feels left out for not

understanding their conversations or doubts that they are

talking ill about him. Such feelings lead to depression and

detachment.

Identity Crisis:

Shifting to a new country, converting to a different religion,

or sacrificing your own culture for your partner’s sake makes

you feel deviated from your old self since you will be

compelled to leave your habits to get adjusted to the new

culture. However, after some time, you will realize how

valuable these old habits were for you, which affect your

sense of identity, due to which you question yourself, ‘Who

am I?’ or ‘What is my place of belonging?’ or ‘Should I be held

accountable for not maintaining my cultural heritage?’, etc.

HOW TO MANAGE THE CULTURAL

DIFFERENCES IN ROMANTIC

RELATIONSHIPS?

Although couples involved in cross-cultural relationships

often go through many hardships and challenges, these

problems can be navigated through the following methods:

• Communication: Communication is the key to happiness

in any kind of relationship, including cross-cultural romantic

unions. Thus, the partners should always indulge in open

and honest conversations and try to comprehend each

other’s dialect, customs, faith, beliefs, values and religion. In

order to avoid misunderstandings and disagreements, one

should interpret their thoughts and emotions very clearly in

a dignified manner, which will establish trust, high regard

and appreciation for each other.

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• Refrain from Assuming and Typecasting: One should

not make any assumptions regarding cultural

differences.Typecasting cultural differences can lead to

unnecessary misunderstandings, wounded sentiments and

disrespectful behaviour. Hence, one should indulge in cross-

cultural relationships with a receptive attitude.

• Willingness to Learn and Grow: In order to manage the

cultural differences in relationships, the couples should

commit themselves to learning each other’s culture and

growing together by participating in cultural events and

festivals.

• Preserve your Individuality: While accepting

wholeheartedly all the cultural norms of your partner in a

cross-cultural relationship, you should never forget about

your own culture, religion and background that you

belonged to from birth. It is very important to maintain one’s

own identity or individuality to avoid conflicts and

complexities in a cross-cultural relationship.

CONCLUSION

Globalization has made the world a smaller place, due to

which all the cultures live together under the same roof in

various societies. Thus, the blooming of cross-cultural, multi-

cultural, or inter-cultural romantic relationships is inevitable

since our first identity is that we are humans and thereby

possess the same kind of emotions, including romantic love.

So, in such relationships, we should embrace each other’s

culture and religion with love and respect and try to grow

together while preserving our own cultural beliefs, customs,

religion and individuality.