Talking of Cross-culture relationships, do you have any idea, what it is? Let me give you a quick tour of this genre. Cross-culture relationship- worth fighting for. Keep reading.
A Cross-culture relationship is about two people. They are in love, who unite their different culture together. Nowadays it is a common story. In the world of dating, finding a match; makes it easy.
Sometimes it represents two people from two different regions of the world. Or two people from the same region but different origins. But here I will not talk about the history of our different origins.
Let us dig deep into why Culture plays a vital role when it comes to relationships! In other words, CULTURE is also known as civilization and lifestyle. Traditions, habits, and values.
We all know these words indicate the upbringing of you and me and others. The way you have grown up, the way I have seen the world since my childhood reflects through our culture. It is who we are! That is impossible to compromise on an easy hand if required.
It is always easy to stay together for people from the same cultural background. It diminishes the chance of conflict or arguments.
Like their lifestyle, daily practice, customs, and values everything is the same. As a person, they can be different. No single person is the same as the other, but their cultural practices are the same. They get comfortable with each other.
But when two people from two different cultures decide to stay together.. it comes with challenges. Sometimes the result leads to a disaster! Let us step into the world of this romantic fairy tale where the ride can be bumpy too. So, hold tight!
Challenges of a Cross-culture Relationship
It is time to find what issues that can put cross-culture relationships into a challenge.
Challenge #1- Family:
A relationship covers the life stories of two different people. Here it is two different cultures. Generally, it is not whole until and unless their families come into the picture.
The orthodox practices of either culture criticize each other’s activities. Dominant nature, pushing one from everything to showcase he/she is a mismatch to the family. This may take a couple ending up taking a stand for their own culture. Here ego takes over logic.
The worst you can imagine. Sometimes a couple does not involve their family in their personal life. The best way to avoid drama. They like to enjoy their diversity on their own. Another reaper!
Challenge #2- Language:
Language is one of the powerful tools of communication. For the couple, even a certain gesture or look is enough to make them feel loved and cared for. Even if they do not understand their languages always.
But when the in-laws talk, and you are hardly able to understand anything. Negative thoughts start to pop up. It is like they are teasing you even when that is not the truth. Not understanding a language gives hard time to the couple in this relationship.
Challenge #3- Worship and daily rituals:
No culture/community follows the same rituals. When it comes to worship their God. Different customs. Different upbringing. No common ways to follow the rituals to pray. It is evident for the couple to face difficulty with their rituals if it comes to sacrifice.
Challenge #4- Regular Hygiene:
Yes! you heard it right. Hygiene can be a big issue for this pair of couple if they are not aware of their spouse’s choices. Example: Some can believe brushing two times a day is healthy.
But the other one is happy with brushing his/her teeth only once. This can be a big reason to keep them from getting closer to each other. And that is what no couple wants. To mitigate the silly problem someone needs to change. That is when the scope of arguments pops up as a challenge to their relationship.
Challenge #5- Attire:
Here comes another fact to understand the difference. A person’s attire speaks for their culture and practices. Two different people from different backgrounds; share their lives. They accept each other’s differences. Sometimes societal influence or outer influences can have a negative impact. You force, you lose.
Challenge #6- Food and cuisine:
Cuisine and food habit is one fact that can make difference to others life. Different cultures offer different delicacy too. When a couple fights on something good food can help them to reach a solution.
Sometimes orthodox thoughts can make food a reason for a family disturbance. Any of them may fail to cope with new food habits or ask for only the food they like to eat. Change in food habits can influence their health also. That is a real concern.
Challenge #7- Bringing up a child:
It is a vital issue in a relationship. The parents must choose only one culture for bringing up their child. And that affects the other parent who needs to sacrifice. It takes a lot of effort to compromise and accept other’s choices.
How to Overcome Cross-culture Challenges
Every problem comes with a solution. It is now time to find solutions.
How to Fix Problems related to cross-culture relationships?
Challenges can come in life! The best way to fix these is to accept it and then dodge it! keep moving forward. Learn from the problems but never run from them. You can solve these issues. Have faith in yourself and your relationship.
Now let me show you the formulas of how to fix the problems.
Fixture #1: Family issues
Every challenge comes with a solution. Positivity and happiness can come with time. A little wish to learn about their cultures, let your partner feel comfortable.
A member of the family, together, can make the bonding strong. Family is strength and strength brings harmony. Remember it is always easy to break but hard to fix.
Fixture #2: Language issues
There are many languages in the world, we hardly even know about them. In a cross-culture relationship, the couple accepts this fact, and yes! most of the time their languages are different. Their accent does not match at all.
But if you wish to solve this, several options, to make your relationship strong, are waiting for you. Understanding each other and learning the language. With time can be the pillar of a successful relationship.
Fixture #3: Worship and rituals
We usually follow worship and rituals as a tool to get rid of mental pain. To find peace in the vice. So, this area of practice cannot be a reason for any turmoil.
Here, sacrifice is not an option, when it is a matter of love and respect between two people. Respecting each other’s religion and faith. It is taking another leap towards a successful relationship. This makes everything easy to get through.
Fixture #4: Hygiene Issues
It is a matter that sounds silly but is a hard thing to deal with. Being hygienic can never go wrong. Too much is bad. But to care for your spouse’s choice make the relationship strong and healthy.
What other a couple can ask for! Give it a try. Do not take it as a change. Think of it as you are being more caring to your partner.
Fixture #5: Attire issues
To me, attire is a symbol of confidence. What you wear delivers the message about you and your likings, to the whole world. It can make you feel great and beautiful.
Trying different styles can be a good way to find yourself. It is always fun and interesting to update ourselves with new fashion. Take the chance and live it. Be more confident.
Fixture #6: Food Habits
When there is a problem there must be a solution to it. What matters is whether you want a solution or not. In two different cultures, it is obvious to have different food habits.
If any problem occurs instead of blaming, it is always better to avoid and share the issue with the partner. That will help you to understand your partner and about his/her health more. Health always comes first. help to stay healthy. Keep your cool, it will surprise you with the best possible solution.
Fixture #7: Issues about upbringing your child
Kids are fast learners. Their mind works even more than we can think of. First, do proper planning. The upbringing not only depends upon their cultures. It also depends on their parent’s daily practices. Give your kid time.
Do something to grow his/her interest in both cultures. Then start teaching them about your culture. It can help kids diversify, make them adaptive, and easier to cope with others. They are always one step closer to achieve success because of their many quality.
Cross-culture Relationship- when it comes to Marriage:
What is marriage? Marriage is the holy and strongest bond between a couple. They take vows to be together forever, in front of their God as a witness of this holy ceremony.
A marriage is a strong bond not only between a couple. It is bondage between their cultures, families, customs, and social norms.
Here let us focus on the word society! A group of people who practices similar customs likes divine belief. Who are very likeminded to their lifestyle. And represents their similar racial community- together is a society.
Why it is important? Social acceptance plays a vital role in marriage. It has a great impact to enjoy a healthy and successful married life.
In a cross-culture or an intra-culture marriage.. social acceptance or family acceptance is a tough call. Even if the couple is ready to accept their differences and want to get married. Their societies and families are the main hurdles, they need to come across.
1)Family support:
The game-changer in a cross-culture marriage. Except for the vows you took at the time of marriage.. everything is different starting from culture to their food habits. Family members usually feel uncomfortable.
Welcoming a whole new culture to their family is not easy. They believe in practicing the same old habits that are been set up many years ago. In most cases, the family does not accept these marriages and support the couple.
Generally, between the couple, one gets to stay with his/her own culture, family, and society. The other one leaves his/her everything back to their place.
To cope with the new family, culture, the new place. It hits the rock bottom when he/she gets no family support at all. That is one major issue in cross-culture marriages that ends up in turmoil between the couple.
2)Social Acceptance:
Every person belongs to society. Every society practices its own adopted culture, customs. And most important these societies accept only people with; same background as them!
When it comes to cross-culture marriage.. the marriage itself fights for its social acceptance. Family members-neighbors-peers. Criticism starting with one’s religious beliefs to their language, body color. And body shape, food habits, and cuisine. That diminishes the adaptability of the couple to make their marriage successful.
3)Different Marriage Rituals:
In the world.. several cultures practice different types of marriage rituals. Even the dress of the bride and groom also varies as per their cultures.
A marriage between the same cultures is much easier than that of cross-culture marriage. Here even for following own marriage rituals is itself is a big drama.
Even if the couple respect both of their practices, the dress of the bride and groom can rise huge issues. It differs from one religion to another. Some colors defy some meaning which is also different in each culture.
Note: These are the ups and downs may a cross-culture marriage has to surpass. Your approach plays a significant role in a happy married life.
If you are into a relationship like this, you are diving into this pool of problems and difficulties. If you wish for a happy marriage, find a way to swim through this pool of problems with your spouse. With compassion and empathy success will be yours.
Trust and Understanding in a cross-culture relationship:
Trust and understanding are the pillars of any successful relationship. When it comes to love, affair, affection between two people, it is the only thing the relationship has.
In a cross-culture relationship trust and understanding both come with a cost. Why? I will show you.
As I said in this relationship different cultures play a vital role. Here having trust in each other’s traits is not enough. You must have faith not only in your partner but also in his/her culture, customs. You must understand the feeling and likings about your partner’s practices. The food habits, sleeping habits, attires everything.
You must understand that your partner or spouse believes in you. He/she trusts you that, you will never hurt their belief. You will respect their culture and never ask for any sacrifice and vice-versa.
Your compassion, a small wish to see the world in a new way. Treating your spouse with empathy is the pillar of your successful relationship. Instead of arguing, share and solve problems together.
Provide comfort with security and love. Enjoy the differences in a unique way. It can fetch you a beautiful relationship that everyone envies.
Here the cost that comes with trust and understanding is. Mutual Respect and their whole culture and community. It is the only way to build trust and understanding in a cross-culture relationship.
How to Be Responsive to Other Cultures
In a cross-culture relationship being responsive is the first quality you should have. If you are adaptive in nature and love to explore new things, then you are on the right track.
This typical form of relationship will give you opportunities to test your capability. How much you are open to new cultures and their practices. And when it is your partner or your spouse, being responsive to their cultures are the only way to win their heart. The more you are easily the more you are liberal to your partner the more your adaptability grows.
1)If any issues, that are most common for this relationship, are to suffer. Arise, let your spouse handle the situation.
2)Do not bring his/her differences into any argument.
3)If you face any problem share it and let your partner solve that for you.
These are the few things that can show your acceptance of other cultures.
Benefits of Cross-culture Relationship:
Cross-culture relationships can be a tough ride or bumpy. It is also enriched with a variety of factors like fashion. New delicacies and different festivals etc.
1)Fashion:
In this relationship, different cultures get involved. You will get a chance to try their beautiful attires which are something new to your closet. In this world, fashion is a big industry and prominent in every culture and community in their way.
So, you, staying in this relationship. Already you are the beneficiary to try two different fashions or more than that. I am sure no one would have missed that chance if they got so!
2)Delicacies:
Food, delicacies have always been a match-fixer. You are happy, you celebrate with food. You do a party or go on a date, you eat food. So food is a very important factor in everybody’s life.
You are in this relationship, you are lucky to have the opportunity.. to try different delicacies. It represents both your and your partner’s cultures. Grab some and let your taste buds enjoy.
3)Festivals:
Different cultures bring different festivals. A festive mood brings good feelings. Festive time is always for spending quality time with your near ones and enjoy. When your chances to enjoy festivals get doubled, that is one of the best parts of this relationship. So what good you get never let it go. Enjoy, it.
Conclusion:
Finally, to conclude, I say cross-culture relationships offer an opportunity. It opens up ways to learn and adopt different cultures. Sometimes it can throw you with some challenges, that now you are already aware of.
But the good part, you can get accustomed to its benefits. Like the new fashions and different tasty treats. Exploring life with new challenges makes it interesting. If troubles come in our way, take a detour but you must reach the finish line.
Whatever I have shared here, is applicable both for you and your partner/spouse. Nothing goes in one way. In a relationship, it is always mutual.
Always remember Following an easy way can fetch you small presents. But taking the hard way will always lead you to the treasure.
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