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

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

3. John, age
Arrogant
Stingy
Stubborn
Egocentric
Dumb

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

5. Importance of Chastity (virginity)

6. Importance of Financials (good income)

7. Age difference between you and your partner

8. Importance on the ‘good looks’ of your partner

9. 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

10. Buss 1962
METHOD
Over 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

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. Buss 1962
FINANCIAL PROSPECT
CHASTITY
AGE DIFFERENCE
GOOD LOOKS

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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

17. 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

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

19. Levine et al. 1995

20. Levine et al. 1995

21. Levine et al. 1995
Individualism vs Collectiivism

22. Levine et al. 1995
All factors

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

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

25. Conclusion
3 – Collectivism put less importance on Love than individualistic

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

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