Marriage of East and West

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Tags: discovery, psychology, research, winter-2012

A UQ study is looking at the how wisdom from traditional Eastern cultures can be used to strengthen relationships in Australia

With 40 per cent of Australian marriages ending in divorce, the secrets to a happy marriage continue to elude many couples. But not for much longer with University of Queensland researchers on the case.

A UQ study is examining cross-cultural relationships to see whether wisdom from traditional Eastern cultures can be used to strengthen relationships in Australia.

Lead researcher Professor Kim Halford from UQ’s School of Psychology said Chinese cultures traditionally had very low rates of divorce.

“This study may help to uncover some of the factors that help Chinese couples achieve harmonious relationships,” he said.

“So far, we have found Chinese people tend to place high value on good relationships with extended family, doing their duty to their spouse and others, and preserving their partner’s ‘face’ or dignity.

“Marriage in the Western world, on the other hand, has become very fixated on romance, passion and expression of feelings between spouses.

“While these are good qualities to have in a marriage, it is important for couples to have a sense of belonging to their wider family and to commit to the work of making the marriage last.”

Co-researcher Danika Hiew said their previous study explored Chinese and Western perceptions about what makes marriage great.

“We found that Westerners tended to talk about being in love, and expression of affection, whereas Chinese were more likely to comment on working together to build a good life. They put a strong emphasis on the concept of ‘togetherness’,” she said.

Mrs Hiew said the aim of the research was to develop education programs that included Chinese relationship skills and values.

“Our research group hopes to develop relationship education programs that include the strengths of both Eastern and Western cultures, and can strengthen the relationships of couples from diverse backgrounds,” she said.

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