The role of communication and cultural concepts in expectations about marriage: Comparisons between young adults from six countries

This study examines whether communication and culturally embedded concepts influence cross-cultural similarities and differences in marital role conceptions. Young adults from the US, China, South Korea, Japan, India and Malaysia responded to a series of open-ended questions about marriage and marital roles. Analytic induction methods produced categories across six topics (good wife/bad wife, good husband/bad husband, good marriage/bad marriage). Results showed even greater variation in marital role conceptions than hypothesized. Only East Asians nominated a family home focus more and only Chinese and Koreans considered respectfulness and gentleness more for the good wife role than did US participants. Loving/caring nominations did not differ across the cultural groups except for greater nominations by US participants for the good marriage and good wife role conceptions, and proportions of controlling/abusive behaviors did not differ except for the Indian group's higher nominations for the bad wife role. Communication expectations for marital roles showed some cross cultural similarity, as both US and Asian participants rated communication characteristics as more important than attractiveness/ability characteristics, but only for the good wife/husband roles.

► We compared young adults from six countries on their marital role conceptions. ► East Asians nominated a family focus and gentleness more for the good wife role. ► US adults nominated love/caring more for good wife/marriage conceptions. ► Nominations of controlling behaviors were mostly similar for bad wife/husband roles. ► Communication generally nominated more than attractiveness for good wife/husband roles.