Personal Relationships Across Cultures

Personal Relationships Across Culturesdiscusses different types of relationships--friendship, romance, family, and the workplace--in a variety of cultural and ethnic contexts, and examines the way in which individual personalities, social norms, and larger economic, political, and demographic transitions have interacted to transform personal relationships around the world. Robin Goodwin provides a valuable perspective for understanding social interactions, their contexts, and their consequences in this increasingly multicultural society.

List of illustrations

xi

Acknowledgements

xiii

Introduction: Studying personal relationships

1

(1)

A Brief outline of this book

2

(4)

The development of research into personal relationships across cultures

6

(12)

Introduction

6

(1)

Defining our terms: `personal relationships' and `culture'

6

(3)

The Western study of personal relationships: a very brief history

9

(3)

Why we need a cross-cultural approach

12

(2)

The study of personal relationships across cultures

14

(4)

Relationships in a cultural setting

18

(29)

Introduction

18

(1)

Universality in personal relationships: a socio-biological approach

18

(4)

Cultural values and dimensions of culture

22

(14)

Ecological explanations of behaviour

36

(2)

Personal relationships in a changing world

38

(8)

Summary

46

(1)

Relationship formation

47

(28)

Introduction

47

(1)

The arranged marriage

47

(5)

Partner preferences

52

(2)

Physical attractiveness

54

(3)

Ethnocentrism in dating

57

(1)

Marital choice in British Asian populations

58

(1)

The timing of marriage

59

(1)

Love and love styles

60

(11)

The changing nature of partner selection

71

(3)

Summary

74

(1)

The developing relationship

75

(19)

Introduction

75

(1)

Marriage and partnership forms

75

(3)

Relationship norms and rules

78

(4)

Relationship commitment and satisfaction

82

(4)

Relationship dissolution and conflict

86

(7)

Summary

93

(1)

Sexual attitudes and behaviour

94

(17)

Introduction

94

(1)

Social norms and sexual behviours

95

(8)

Sexual orientation

103

(2)

Sexually transmitted diseases

105

(4)

Prostitution and sexual exploitation

109

(1)

Assessing sexual practices and mores: a cautionary note

110

(1)

Summary

110

(1)

Family relations across cultures

111

(28)

Introduction

111

(1)

Kinship and family structure

111

(3)

Family policies and values

114

(5)

Modernisation and family change

119

(6)

Child-rearing

125

(6)

Decision making and gender roles

131

(6)

Summary

137

(2)

Relationships at work

139

(14)

Introduction

139

(1)

Work and the family

139

(2)

Cultural values and the workplace

141

(4)

Leadership

145

(1)

Decision making

146

(3)

Disagreements within the workplace

149

(1)

Social loafing

150

(1)

Informal economies

151

(1)

Summary

152

(1)

Friendship and the broader social network

153

(21)

Introduction

153

(1)

Social support and social networks

153

(6)

Friendship

159

(4)

Communication patterns

163

(7)

Fitting in with others

170

(2)

Summary

172

(2)

Taking it further: Implications and future developments

174

(11)

Introduction

174

(1)

Making sense of cultural differences

174

(2)

Changing cultures

176

(3)

Interventions across cultures

179

(3)

Being of use ...

182

(3)

Bibliography

185

(40)

Index

225

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Personal Relationships Across Cultures

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials