Essay on Cross-Cultural Communication in Romantic Relationships: A Study of Early Stages

Introduction

The first article under review is authored by Ingrid Piller and deals with intercultural communication among individuals engaged in romantic and sexual relationships. Due to potential change in communication patterns when partners participate in a long-term relationship, the researcher has narrowed her study to the cross-cultural communication for partners in their early stages of engagement. The central argument Piller presents holds that "couple communication can never be cross-cultural as each couple forms their own personal 'mini-culture' no matter where the partners come from"(p.341)

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Summary of the Argument

Cross-Cultural Communication is a necessary experience for partners involved in exogamous relationships. The author anchors her argument on the factors promoting exogamous intimate relationships and how such relationships influence cross-cultural communication both in the short-term and the long-term. Although many societies consider endogamous intimate unions as the norm, recent changes have created more room for marriages between people of different cultures. Piller observes that globalization has increased intercultural intimate relationships hence enhanced room for the occurrence of cross-cultural communication. The author attributes the proliferation of these unions to increased international mobility, enhanced global data flow, and increased intercultural exchange. Once individuals from different backgrounds come together for intimate relationships, cross-cultural communication is unavoidable. The author finds that such form of information exchange only takes place at the initial stages of the romantic relationship. At this phase, both individuals endeavor to communicate about their respective cultures and how they drive the relationship. However, as the relationship matures, each spouse approaches the relationships from mini-cultures, which is a blend of the new culture and their original culture. The mini-cultures can be observed even in the children of these couples, whereby children often identify themselves with two cultures with that of the father taking a dominant position over the female spouse.

Question about a Position not Well-supported by the Author

A significant element of the argument that Piller makes in his text is that cross-cultural communication takes place in the initial stages of the relationship. As the intimate relationship progresses, the author argues that the possibility of cross-cultural communication in intimate intercultural relationships decreases significantly. She records, "The more established an intimate cross-cultural relationship becomes, the rarer cross-cultural communication will be"(p.342). The question that arises from such assertion is: does it mean that people who stay longer in an intimate intercultural relationship do not experience cross-cultural communication? Although the position of the author appears convincing, there is little evidence in the text to support the idea. In most of the paper, the author discusses the factors that increased the chances of two culturally different individuals engaging in an intimate cross-cultural relationship. Support for the position under examination is only offered by citing an earlier study that supports the claim. Since the highlighted position is vital in enhancing the overall message of the author, it can be inferred that she has not done enough in providing evidence that intercultural communication only takes in the initial stages of intimate cross-cultural relationships. The contention is that this is the main idea in the paper and, therefore, the author should have dedicated to more content in substantiating her claims.

Personal Connection

The argument made in the article expands my prior understanding of what constitutes intercultural communication. The author has explored how the interactions between people from different parts of the world lead to cross-cultural relationships, which, in turn, make it necessary for intercultural communication to occur. However, the article captures some findings that have challenged my previous thinking about intercultural communication.

Although Piller observes that intimate cross-cultural relationships act as a precursor to intercultural communication, she argues that coming together of two individuals of different backgrounds does not automatically lead to intercultural communication. For example, a romantic relationship involving an American man and a German woman does not necessarily mean that there would an intercultural communication between these two partners during the time of the relationship. Such assertion entirely challenges my previous knowledge about intercultural communication. All I knew is that so long as two individuals of different backgrounds interact, cross-cultural communication will have to happen. The fact that people of dissimilar backgrounds have conversations about their friendship, intercultural communication is the facilitator of information flow between such persons. However, it appears that my understanding is a loose definition of what constitutes intercultural communication. Interactions or conversations do not constitute communication. As the author of the article states, "cross-cultural communication cannot be defined based on the identities of the interactants, but rather on the basis of what it is that interactants orient to: only if they orient to cultural difference and culture as a category is actively constructed, can a communicative event be considered cross-cultural"(P.342). Based on the above statement, Piller reveals that communication only happens when two people from different cultures relate with others in a way that emphasizes that cultural elements of each partner are an essential part of the process of sharing information. What I gather from this perspective is that if a Chinese woman refers to her culture for a strategy on how to solve a conflict with her American spouse, then such a situation may be regarded as cross-cultural communication. The position has challenged my assumption in that it has enabled me to understand that mere interactions of culturally different people do not qualify as inter-cultural communication. One must show sensitivity to individual culture while relating to their spouses for such interaction to be termed as intercultural communication.

Analytical Relation with Other Article

The other work under review is the essay Deep play: notes on the Balinese cockfight Clifford Geertz. The article explores the cultural beliefs and practices of the inhabitants of Bali, Indonesia. As anthologists, Geertz and his wife settle in a remote village of Bali to obtain first-hand information about the ways of life of the Balinese. The author records various cultural practices and traditions of the people of Bali and how such aspects of culture are conceived in this rural society. These cultural norms are recorded primarily through a major event known as cockfighting. As the name suggests, the practice involves the engagement of two cocks in a ring. Cockfighting is a well-respected cultural event among the Balinese. It attracts huge crowds, and its organization reflects some of the fundamental elements of the culture of the Balinese. Central to the argument of Geertz is that cockfighting may be a cultural event attended freely by the Balinese. Still, a more in-depth observation reveals that it reflects the notions of power and hierarchy among the Balinese.

The articles of Piller and that of Geertz have some similarities. Both pieces capture the topic of intercultural communication. The study of Piller examines intercultural communication in the context of intimate relationships between people of different cultures. The author uses data from other studies and her own to reveal how interactions result in intercultural relations. The author relies on recorded interviews and other forms of empirical data to argue her case that a meeting between two culturally different individuals may lead to an intimate cross-cultural relationship but not intercultural communication. The author further reveals that the interactions between culturally differing men and women are influenced by power and hierarchy in the economic ladder. Rich men from Western countries seek women from lesser developed nations who they consider as better-suited for romantic relationships compared to their Western counterparts. Hence, rarely do intercultural communications occur because the power pendulum always swings in favor of men.

On the other hand, Geertz relays intercultural communication from the experience he had while living with Balinese. At the beginning of his residency in the village, Geertz reveals that they looked as strangers before the people, but as time progressed, they forged a close relationship with the villagers, enabling them to learn significantly about the Balinese culture. Geertz records that cockfighting is an essential cultural practice among the Balinese. However, the author observes that, although these events are attended by all categories people, men play the primary role in their organization, and outcomes reflect the ideals of the power of men in this society. The finding is similar to the theme of Piller's article.

Implication of the Current Argument

The argument holds that interaction between two persons of different backgrounds does not necessarily result in intercultural communication. The claim further suggests that cross-cultural communication occurs only during the initial stages of intimate intercultural relationships. These findings imply that they would challenge the current perceptions about intercultural communication. For instance, people of different cultural backgrounds meet online and enter into relationships before meeting physically. In such a scenario, they wrongly assume that cross-cultural communication occurs. The realization that this is the case will challenge scholars to expand the understanding of intercultural communication.

References

Geertz, C. (2005). Deep play: Notes on the Balinese cockfight. Daedalus, 134(4), 56-86. https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~rfrey/PDF/410/Geertz72.pdf

Piller, I. (2007). Cross-cultural communication in intimate relationships. Handbook of Intercultural Communication, 17(1), 341-359. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110198584.3.341