Life values of persons in cross-cultural (Arab-Russian) and monocultural marriages and their representation an family sphere

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Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University)

Moscow State University of Psychology and Education

National Research University “Higher School of Economics”

LIFE VALUES OF PERSONS IN CROSS-CULTURAL (ARAB - RUSSIAN) AND MONOCULTURAL MARRIAGES AND THEIR REPRESENTATION IN FAMILY SPHERE

Elena Y. Chebotareva, Hasan M.A. Jaber

Moscow

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the empirical study, which has been conducted with the aim to analyze the differences in life and family values and their interactions between the spouses from cross-cultural and monocultural couples. The sample of the study consists of 330 persons, including 85 cross-cultural Arab -- Russian couples (170 persons), living in Russia, and 80 monocultural couples (160 persons).

The main methods were S. Schwartz' “Value Survey”, “Test of Attitudes to Family Life” by Yu. Alyoshina, L. Gozman, & E. Dubovskaya, «Marital Role Expectations and Aspirations” by A.N. Volkova, “Marital Satisfaction Test” by V. Stolin, T. Romanova, & G. Butenko.

It was revealed that the persons from cross-cultural and monocultural marriages have different life and family values hierarchies, besides, they realize their life values in family life differently. In cross- cultural marriages the spouses see the opportunities for their normative life goals realizing in the family, especially in its psychotherapeutic and parental spheres, as well as in social activity outside the family. But in their real day-to-day activities, they do not always manage to realize their life goals in the family sphere, probably because of the difficulties in interacting with their social environment, which can come from the fact that their families are more enclosed, which in turn leads to a decrease of marital satisfaction. In the cross-cultural spouses' representations, the collectivist values are more related to family functioning, but individualistic values such as hedonism and power are perceived as incompatible with the successful functioning of the family.

Key words: cross-cultural marriage, intercultural marriage, life values, family values, attitudes to family life, family functions, family roles, expectations and aspirations in marriage, marital satisfaction

Аннотация

ЖИЗНЕННЫЕ ЦЕННОСТИ ЛЮДЕЙ, СОСТОЯЩИХ В МЕЖКУЛЬТУРНЫХ (АРАБО-РУССКИХ) И МОНОКУЛЬТУРНЫХ БРАКАХ, И ИХ РЕАЛИЗАЦИЯ В СЕМЕЙНОЙ СФЕРЕ

Е.Ю. Чеботарева, Х.М.А. Джабер

Российский университет дружбы народов ул. Миклухо-Маклая, 6, Москва, Россия, 117198 Московский государственный психолого-педагогический университет ул. Сретенка, 29, Москва, Россия, 127051 Национальный исследовательский университет «Высшая школа экономики» ул. Мясницкая, 20, Москва, Россия, 101000

В статье представлены результаты эмпирического исследования, проведенного в целях анализа различий в жизненных и семейных ценностях, а также в их взаимосвязи, между супругами из межкультурных и монокультурных семей. Выборка исследования составила 330 человек, включая 85 межкультурных русско-арабских пар (170 человек), проживающих в России, а также 80 монокультурных пар (160 человек).

В исследовании использовались следующие методики «Ценностный опросник» Ш. Шварца, «Тест установок к семейной жизни» (Ю. Алешина, Л. Гозман, Е. Дубовская), опросник «Ролевые ожидания и притязания в браке» (А. Волкова), «Удовлетворенность браком» (В. Сто- лин, Т. Романова, Г. Бутенко).

Было обнаружено, что люди из межкультурных и монокультурных браков имеют разные иерархии жизненных и семейных ценностей, кроме того они по-разному воплощают свои жизненные цели в семейной сфере. В межкультурных браках супруги связывают возможности реализации своих нормативных целей с семьей, особенно с ее психотерапевтической и родительской функциями, а также с внесемейной активностью. Но в повседневной жизни им не всегда удается реализовать жизненные цели в семейной сфере, возможно из-за сложностей во взаимодействии с внешним окружением и относительной закрытости семьи, что, в свою очередь, приводит к снижению удовлетворенности браком. В представлениях супругов из межкультурных семей коллективистские ценности более связаны с семейным функционированием, а индивидуалистические ценности, такие как гедонизм и власть, воспринимаются как несовместимые с благополучным функционированием семьи.

Ключевые слова: межкультурный брак, жизненные ценности, семейные ценности, установки к семейной жизни, семейные функции, семейные роли, ожидания и притязания в браке, удовлетворенность браком

Theoretical background

Cross-cultural families have become an integral part of the society, their number is steadily growing in almost any country. The recent years' migration outburst made it particularly relevant to study the processes of migrants' integration into the host community, including the psychological characteristics of cross-cultural families and their impact on the spouses' identity. Many researchers of the problem note that the religious identity is the major barrier for interethnic marriage. Therefore, McClendon (2016) states that interfaith marriage has become more common, however religion still remains one of the most significant factors in today's marriage market (Mahoney et al., 2008; Mahoney 2010; McClendon, 2016; Chebotareva, 2014, 2015). Perry (2015, 2016) proved that the spouses' religiosity match interrelates with their marital satisfaction. Petts reports that the spouses' religiosity affects their marriage differently in different cultures (Petts, 2016). In general, the researches of marital adjustment and satisfaction in cross- cultural couples give controversial results. Some studies suggest that in cross-cultural couples different cultural background and life values of spouses cause greater conflicts and accordingly, these couples are less satisfied with their marriages (Cooney & Radina, 2000; Gaines & Agnew, 2003; Kelley & Thibaut, 1978; Killian, 2002;). Many studies show that homogenous marriages are more satisfying and stable (Heaton & Pratt 1990; Call & Heaton 1997; Curtis & Ellison 2002; Heaton, 2002; Myers, 2006). Other studies proved the equal level of satisfaction and sustainability of cross-cultural and monocultural marriages (Gaines & Brennan, 2000). But there is also some scientific evidence, that marital adjustment and relationship satisfaction in cross-cultural families may be greater, than in monocultural ones (Stringer, 1991; Troy, Lewis-Smith, & Laurenceau, 2006). Among factors that help the couples to cope with the difficulties of cross-cultural marriages, illuminated in researches, are the spouses' positive ethnic identity, positive attitudes to the partner's culture (Killian, 2002; Model & Fisher, 2002).

Many researchers of the problem agree that one of the most acute problems here is matching the spouses' values and attitudes. There is also a wide range of points of view on this matter. On the one hand, it is assumed that cross-cultural marriages are entered mostly by people who are either already culturally assimilated, or who have certain values, such as universalism, tolerance and multiculturalism. On the other hand, it is assumed that the spouses' worldviews matching is the main challenge of such marriages (Sokolovsky, 2003). Somewhere in the middle of this continuum there are ideas that cultural differences may be reduced by similarities in education and personal development (Zhenchao Qian et all, 2001), or that two individuals create their own “relational culture”, not arguing with their spouses' cultural values (Wood, 2000; Gaines & Brennan, 2001). Some researches show that in some cases people in a foreign cultural environment tend to maintain their commitment to the values and traditions of their native culture (Maslova & Bui, 2015), and migrants may “conserve” their traditional values inside their cross- cultural families.

It is important to study the life values of spouses in cross-cultural marriages, taking into account their family values, attitudes to family life (Fischer & Schwartz, 2011). The studies of age- and gender-specific attitudes to family life in Russia have shown that behind the similarity of these attitudes there are differences in personal meanings (implementations of life values) between these groups (Chebotareva, 2016).

Thus, the empirical study has been conducted with the aim to analyze the differences in life and family values and their interactions between the spouses from cross-cultural and monocultural couples, and to understand the psychological mechanisms of implementation of cultural and personal life values in family -- life attitudes.

Methods and Procedure

Participants. 330 people took part in the empirical study, including 85 cross-cultural couples (170 persons) and 80 monocultural couples (160 persons). Cross-cultural couples were Arab-Christian (men were mostly from Palestine and from some other Arab countries; women were Russian (90%), Belarusian and Ukrainian). All the cross-cultural couples had been living in Russia (mostly in the capital) for not less than 3 years. Among monocultural couples there were 50 Arab families leaving in Arab countries and 30 Russian families, living in Russia, mostly in Moscow and other big cities. All three sub-samples compositions were aligned in their main socio-demographic characteristics. The age of the participants was from 22 to 47 years old. The average age of cross-cultural spouses was 32 years old; monocultural Arab spouses were 30.6 years old; monocultural Russian spouses were 33 years old. Most families (98%) had from 1 to 3 children living in families, only a few families had 4-5 children. The level of the respondents' education varied from secondary (18%) to higher (73%) education. The cross-cultural couples often reported that they met at the university (42%), at work (27%), through friends and colleagues (21%). The composition of the cross-cultural sample is characteristic for this type of cross-cultural marriages in Russia. The socio-demographic characteristics ofmonocultural subsamples were aligned with the cross-cultural group, but they are somewhat different from the general national demographic. To ensure greater homogeneity of the sample, we took into account the stage of the families' life cycle, excluding families without children, with newborn children, and with older children who had already left their parental family. Also, people of a higher and lower social status are not represented in the sample.

Techniques. To measure the degree of importance of various life values S. Schwartz' “Value Survey ” in V.N. Karandashev's adaptation was applied. It is based on the development of M. Rokeach understanding of life values (Schwartz, 2009). It measures such value types as:power, achievement, hedonism, stimulation, self-direction, universalism, benevolence, tradition, conformity, security. Stimulus material in this technique consists of two parts: for normative ideals and for individual behavioral attitudes. The average score on each scale of the first part ranges from 1 to 7, of the second part from 1 to 4. The ratio of different scales is estimated, which suggests a certain degree of significance of some values over the others for the respondent.

The attitudes of the respondents to family values were investigated with two techniques: “Test of Attitudes to Family Life” by Yu. Alyoshina, L. Gozman, & E. Dubovskaya and the questionnaire “Marital Role Expectations and Aspirations” by A.N. Volkova. The first technique consists of 40 statements, expressing the particular position on 10 important areas of family life: positive representations about people in general; sense of duty; role of children in family life; importance of the spouses' joint activity; attitude to divorce (its acceptance or rejection); attitude to romantic love (traditional representations vs pragmatical point ofview); importance of sex in family relations; readiness to speak openly about sex or avoiding this topic; attitudes to woman's role in family (traditional or not); attitudes to thrift.

The technique “Marital Role Expectations and Aspirations” allows to identify:

1. The respondents' representations of the importance of the different family life spheres, such as sexual relations, personal identification with each other, parenting, social activity of each spouse, household duties, moral and emotional support (psychotherapeutic function), the visual appeal. These indicators, reflecting the basic functions of the family, constitute the block of family values;

2. The respondents' representations about the desired distribution of the family roles between husband and wife. This part consists of two units: of role expectations, what the respondent would like his or her partner to do; and -- of aspirations, what the respondent would like to take on himself or herself.

“Marital Satisfaction Test” by V Stolin, T. Romanova, & G.Butenko was used for express- measuring of general level of emotional marital satisfaction of the respondents. It is represented by one-dimensional scale, consisting of 24 statements related to different areas of family interrelations. The overall level of marital satisfaction, in accordance with the key, can be assigned to one of the 7 categories from “completely unsuccessful” to “completely happy”.

We used the snowball sampling method: first, the respondents were recruited by the students of the University among their acquaintances, then, these respondents recruited their acquaintances and so on. We also recruited the participants of the cross-cultural sub-sample from the special forums, where the problems of inter-faith, especially MuslimChristian ones, are discussed. The surveys were conducted personally during 2-3 meetings, 30 minutes each. All the participants were informed by the interviewers about the aims of the study before the survey was administered.

Statistical analysis for the data presented in the paper was performed using the descriptive statistics, Tukey multiple comparison of means, Mann--Whitney U-test, Spearman rank correlations method.

Results and Discussion

A comparative analysis of the importance of life values for the spouses from cross- cultural and monocultural marriages was conducted. Since belonging to a particular culture plays an important role in the formation of the values hierarchy, we decided to conduct multiple variance analysis that identified the impact of gender, nationality, family type factors, as well as their combined influence. In this paper we will consider the impact of the “type of the family” factor (i.e. cross-cultural or monocultural), excluding the influence of the other factors considered. The average indexes of the importance of life values at the normative level and at the level of individual priorities, as well as the results of multiple variance analysis are presented in Table 1.

At the level of normative ideals, the variance analysis revealed the strongest difference in the value of stimulation. Regardless of their nationality, monocultural families are more eager to get new impressions, entertainment, changing situation. Apparently, a relationship with a representative of another culture completely satiates this need and makes it not relevant. There are also strong differences in the levels of importance of normative values: conformity, benevolence, universalism, self-direction, achievement. All these values are more important for monocultural families.

Table 1

Means of life values importance for cross-cultural and monocultural families and Tukey multiple comparison test