The Effects of Culture on the Communication Patterns of Intercultural Couples: A Case Study of Five Intercultural Couples

Abstract

Due to the increase of intercultural marriage in the Philippines, today’s state of marriages had become more diverse than before. At the same time, the disruption of marriages has become more intense. According to previous studies, most of the problems in marriages start with the wide differences in personalities of two individuals. The effects of these differences, in turn, are miscommunication and broken marriages. The social costs of marriage disruptions are problematic lives. Therefore, it is important to build good communication through proper handling of cultural differences. Past studies had been made about marital miscommunication, culture’s effects on relationship, and communication’s role in addressing the problems in marriage. However, there is none that discusses the root of the problem, which is how culture affects communication patterns of couples. Knowing the effects of cultural differences in the communication patterns will contribute to the prevention of marital disruption since it would identify the root cause of the differences between two individuals. To address this concern, the study researcher this question: “What are the effects of culture in the communication patterns of five intercultural couples?” This case study of five intercultural couples was approached using the communication and anthropological perspectives. Purposive sampling was employed. The years of residency in the Philippines, the nationality of the husbands, and the legality of marriage are considered in the selection of the couples. Names of the participants were not mentioned in the study to protect their privacy. Qualitative data were solicited through interview schedules. The semi-structured interview was intended to discover the profiles of the couples, their communication patterns, their marriage and their differences. The qualitative data were analyzed thematically and was integrated into thick descriptions. The findings showed that the five intercultural couples (specifically a Filipina wife and a Japanese husband; a Filipina wife and a Scottish husband; a Filipina wife and an Australian husband; a Filipina wife and an American husband; a Filipina wife and a Nigerian husband) each have their cultural differences and similarities. The distinct culture of the husbands of the five Filipinas when analyzed revealed that they are culturally different in terms of religion and norms. On the other hand, they are culturally similar in terms of how they value their beliefs and ideologies, employment, and the use of English. The cultural similarities and differences affect the communication patterns which was predominantly symmetrical. There was a complementary and parallel communication pattern that was identified. The effects on the communication patterns affect their marital relationship both positively and negatively. Among its positive effects are the value of respect, value of learning, and new perspectives while its negative effects are occurrence of misunderstanding, occurrence of fights, and occurrence of arguments. It is therefore concluded that culture affects the communication patterns making it symmetrical, parallel or complementary. The presence of the cultural differences are most felt in complementary communication patterns, while the presence of cultural similarities are most felt in either parallel or symmetrical communication pattern.