Role of Culture Explain the role culture plays in the formation and maintenance of relationships.

Isabel, age 21 Confident Understanding Caring Fun Great sense of Humor

John, age Arrogant Stingy Stubborn Egocentric Dumb

Role of Culture Explain the role culture plays in the formation and maintenance of relationships.

Importance of Chastity (virginity)

Importance of Financials (good income)

Age difference between you and your partner

Importance on the ‘good looks’ of your partner

How can we explain these differences? Individualistic VS. Collectivistic Passionate love is largely a western phenomenon - Marriage is culmination of a loving relationship – marry the person they love. Eastern is the other way round – love the person they marry. Goodwind 1995

Buss 1962 METHOD Over 10 000 participants from 33 countries filled a questionnaire on characteristics of relationship Rated on scale: Good financial prospects Good looks Chastity Ambition and industriousness Rated in order 13 characteristics

Buss 1962 FINDINGS Financial Prospect In 36 of the 37 samples, females valued “good financial prospects” in a mate more highly than males. The Spanish sample was the only exception to this, the sample did show a difference between males and females but it was not significant. Ambition & Industriousness In 34 of the 37 samples, females expressed a higher valuation for “ambition and industriousness” in a mate than did males.

Buss 1962 FINDINGS Age preference In all 37 samples, both males and females preferred the male to be the older partner in the relationship. Good looks All of the 37 samples showed that males rated “good looks” in their mate more than females did.

Buss 1962 FINANCIAL PROSPECT CHASTITY AGE DIFFERENCE GOOD LOOKS

Buss 1962 China South Africa (Zulu) Love ranked sixth. USA Love ranked first Iran Love ranked third. Ranked high: education, intelligence, ambition, chastity. Nigeria Love ranked fourth. Ranked high: good health, neatness, desire for home and children. China Love ranked sixth. Ranked high: good health, chastity, domestic skills. South Africa (Zulu) Love ranked seventh. Ranked high: emotional stability and maturity, dependability.

Buss 1962 CONCLUSION Sex differences involving mate preferences for earning potential, relative youth and physical attractiveness were strongly confirmed across cultures. Support evolutionary explanations of human behaviour; mating behaviour should differ according to gender, reflecting the differences in reproductive capacities of males and females.

Buss 1962 LINK TO ROLE OF CULTURE Gender differences are very similar in most cultures Cultures play a large part on which characteristic of a relationship is more important in relationship. E.g. Chastity vs Financial Prospect

Druckerman 2007 Japanese Russians South Africans Druckerman, 2007 Cross-cultural perspectives on infidelity Druckerman, 2007 Do not consider it cheating if you pay for sex Japanese Do not consider it cheating if you have extramarital sex while on vacation at a beach resort Russians Consider inebriation a proper excuse for cheating - they are forgiven South Africans

Levine et al. 1995 LINK: Cultures attribute different roles to love. AIM METHOD FINDINGS CONCLUSION LINK: Cultures attribute different roles to love.

Levine et al. 1995

Levine et al. 1995

Levine et al. 1995 Individualism vs Collectiivism

Levine et al. 1995 All factors

Conclusion 1 – Love is more important for Western cultures than Eastern

Conclusion 2 – Same is true for maintenance of relationship Love is more important for Western cultures than Eastern

Conclusion 3 – Collectivism put less importance on Love than individualistic

Conclusion 4 – The more money made the more importance was put on Love

“I’m in love!” - Letter Write a letter to your best friend explaining your reasoning behind the start, maintenance or ending of a relationship.