Essay Example: Cross-Cultural Marriages

Culture is the sharing of a set of views and behaviors adopted due to membership in a specific context. According to Falicov (1995), the frameworks may be religious background, family status, ecological setting occupations, and political settings. Cross-cultural marriages can, therefore, be defined as the union of two individual from different experience and culture. Many challenges mostly face these unions. These challenges may come as a result of religious differences; cultural believes differences, language barriers, and prejudice and social attitudes. All these are problems issues that can cause a lot of questions in a cross-cultural union. This essay will discuss various issues and problems that arise from these challenges and possible ways to overcome the difficulties.

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Problems

Each culture has different believes from the other. What is considered wrong in one cultural setup may not be necessarily bad in another? The gender roles differ from culture to culture. Western societies have a balanced gender role. Westerners bare the believe that what a man can do a woman can do. The culture of the west is entirely different when compared to the Middle East and some countries in Africa where the family structure is clearly defined. Therefore a union between a western and African couple may face gender role challenges as the two spouses have different expectations. Africans are also so much into extended family. To overcome this challenge, one must inquire every aspect of the others believes and culture to make sure he/she will be comfortable with them.

Religion is another great challenge in cross-cultural marriages. According to the international connecting global minds organization, Some cultures identify themselves with a particular religion. The identification may force one to change their faith and comply with a life you were not prepared. Family members may also disown one as a result of marring a person from a culture that does not identify itself with a particular religion.

Prejudice and stereotype is another big challenge to cross-cultural marriages. One may not face discrimination for the spouse, but it may come vividly from the family members and relatives. Stereotypes arise from the attitudes of one community to rate the other. It may be in the form of racial, religious and ideological when one community has a specific contrary belief about another community. The stereotype of certain religions and ideologies of certain races pose significant challenges to marriages. Some marriages do not prosper even though they may have gotten approval from parents. The community, family, and relatives may deliberately ignite misunderstandings between the couples ending up the relationship.

Solutions

These problems can be solved by undertaking thorough research on the culture of your partner and make sure you are knowledgeable of it. The knowledge will help you to make better decisions on how to react to different issues in the culture. The spouses have the responsibility to talk to each other about their religion and believe. Each husband and the wife need to familiarize each other with important issues and events in their community that may not be available in the others. Communication will help significantly in solving all the problems. To overcome the problems that are incited by relatives and family members, the spouses can choose to live in a distant place away from their parents and relatives. The separation from the family will help in giving them peace of mind.

In conclusions, cross-cultural unions will always face issues. If not between the spouses then they may be between the spouses and family members. These issues are typical but may be dangerous to the marriage if they go into their extremes. A common saying goes, if you cannot beat them, join them. Therefore the best way to overcome these problems is to live as per the expectations of the new cultural believes. Change is inevitable in this case.

References

Common Issues in Mixed Marriages. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.internations.org/guide/global/international-marriage-and-relationships-15294/common-issues-in-mixed-marriages-2

Falicov, C. J. (1995). Cross-cultural marriages. Clinical handbook of couple therapy, 231246.