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摘要：本文通過介绍导致中西跨文化婚姻流行的原因，着重分析导致中西跨文化婚姻失败的文化因素, 并在结合前人研究成果的基础上，尝试着提出了相应的建议。
关键词：跨文化婚姻；文化角度；问题
Analysis on Sino-Western Intercultural Marriage
--From the Perspective of Culture
Abstract: The author, in this paper, introduces some factors promoting the popularity of Sino-Western intercultural marriage, and analyzes, with the theory of cross-culture, the factors influencing the failure and success of the intercultural marriage through cases study, and in the end puts forward some feasible suggestions to the intercultural marriage happiness.
Key words: intercultural marriage, intercultural perspective, problems
I The purpose of study
In this paper, the author aims to get an understanding of the cultural factors affecting the success of Sino-Western intercultural marriage, and moreover to introduce some feasible suggestions, based on the analysis of successful intercultural marriage cases and findings of former scholars, to resolve the cultural conflicts in intercultural marriage.
II The factors promoting the popularity of intercultural marriage in China
1.The development of globalization
Globalization provides more opportunity for people to meet their expected partners from alien culture than ever before.
2.Economic factors
There is a misunderstanding among a group of Chinese who knows little about the western world that all the western countries are economy highly developed and the people there are all lead richer and happier lives.
3.Alien attraction
The black-hair, yellow skinned, brown eyed Chinese like the alien blond, white skinned, green or blue eyed westerns, so they fall in love and get married. Except for the alien appearance, Chinese are also absorbed by the westerner personality.
Apart from that, some devoiced Chinese women find their happiness in the intercultural marriage because westerners do not treat devoiced women unfairly.
III Cultural Factors Affecting the Sino-Western Intercultural Marriage
1.Language barrier
In Sino-Western intercultural marriage, most Chinese wives choose to live abroad. Although after a period of intensive learning, their capability of communication in daily life is no longer a problem, but still, they have great trouble in grasping the subtle message contained in language and feel difficulty to integrate into the local social community. Apart from that, language barrier also influences the education of the next generation.
2.Conflicts between stereotypes and real characters
Spickard (1989) pointed out that Chinese women stereotype western men rich, romantic and gentile people, while western men assume Chinese women carry these characteristics, such as tender, decent, tolerant and be good at household work. The real life is never as good as imaging. Therefore, both Chinese wives and western husbands feel disappointed from their stereotype.
3.Ethnocentrism
Those husbands coming from western countries think they are superior to other nations, and hence there is a consistent tendency to disregard Chinese wives and their cultures.
4. Different cultural patterns
Chinese people and westerners are cultivated under two totally opposite cultural patterns, for instance, Chinese hold the collectivism while westerners the individualism; Chinese enjoy sharing while westerners respect privacy; Chinese believe all family members are in hierarchy while westerns consider they are all equal, etc. such culture differences always lead misunderstanding between them.
5. Different gender identity and role patterns
In Sino-Western intercultural marriage, Chinese women's characteristics of gender role ("good wives and wise mothers", "mildness, virtuousness, consideration of others") are appreciated by their western husband, and in daily lives, they both feel good and enjoyable. In contrast, in marriages between Chinese husbands (never do housework at home) and western wives (with the concept that women and men are equal), conflicts are inevitable and may lead to failed marriage.
6. Disagreement on children disciplining
The couples in Sino-Western marriage always have conflicts in the following questions: should the baby take care of the grandparents or the caretaker? Should the baby be protected from potential danger or just allow to craw, stumble and fall? Should the baby take care of the grandparents or the caretaker? Should the baby be protected from potential danger or just allow to craw, stumble and fall?
ⅣSuggestions to the Intercultural Couples
First, before signing the agreement of marriage, couples should make sure they have no language barrier and have enough knowledge about the customs of their spouse. For example, the Chinese potential wives should understand the importance of privacy in the west, and the western potential husbands are supposed to know the significance of the advice of their parents-in-law.
Second, after marriage, the couples from different culture should discuss with their spouses the failed parts of every aspect of their life, try to find out the reasons and make efforts together to solve them.
Third, intercultural couples should do as the homogenous couples, i.e. to give as much understanding as possible, to make compromise at proper times, to think stood on the point view of their spouses.
V Conclusion
Communication, cultural adaptation as well as mutual efforts are critical to the success of the intercultural marriage.
References：
[1] Dodd, C.H. Dynamics of Intercultural Communication [M]. Dubuque, IA: Brown, 1991
[2] Hall, E. T., & Hall, M. R., Understanding Cultural Differences: German, French and Americans [M], Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, 1990
[3] 賈玉新.跨文化交际学[M].上海外语教育出版社,1997．
[4] 婚姻七日谈， 跨国婚姻成少败多 [M]，心理世界，2007
作者简介：王佳佳（1982-10），女，汉族，山西大同人，山西财经大学经贸外语学院 2009级研究生，主要研究方向：英语教育。
关键词：跨文化婚姻；文化角度；问题
Analysis on Sino-Western Intercultural Marriage
--From the Perspective of Culture
Abstract: The author, in this paper, introduces some factors promoting the popularity of Sino-Western intercultural marriage, and analyzes, with the theory of cross-culture, the factors influencing the failure and success of the intercultural marriage through cases study, and in the end puts forward some feasible suggestions to the intercultural marriage happiness.
Key words: intercultural marriage, intercultural perspective, problems
I The purpose of study
In this paper, the author aims to get an understanding of the cultural factors affecting the success of Sino-Western intercultural marriage, and moreover to introduce some feasible suggestions, based on the analysis of successful intercultural marriage cases and findings of former scholars, to resolve the cultural conflicts in intercultural marriage.
II The factors promoting the popularity of intercultural marriage in China
1.The development of globalization
Globalization provides more opportunity for people to meet their expected partners from alien culture than ever before.
2.Economic factors
There is a misunderstanding among a group of Chinese who knows little about the western world that all the western countries are economy highly developed and the people there are all lead richer and happier lives.
3.Alien attraction
The black-hair, yellow skinned, brown eyed Chinese like the alien blond, white skinned, green or blue eyed westerns, so they fall in love and get married. Except for the alien appearance, Chinese are also absorbed by the westerner personality.
Apart from that, some devoiced Chinese women find their happiness in the intercultural marriage because westerners do not treat devoiced women unfairly.
III Cultural Factors Affecting the Sino-Western Intercultural Marriage
1.Language barrier
In Sino-Western intercultural marriage, most Chinese wives choose to live abroad. Although after a period of intensive learning, their capability of communication in daily life is no longer a problem, but still, they have great trouble in grasping the subtle message contained in language and feel difficulty to integrate into the local social community. Apart from that, language barrier also influences the education of the next generation.
2.Conflicts between stereotypes and real characters
Spickard (1989) pointed out that Chinese women stereotype western men rich, romantic and gentile people, while western men assume Chinese women carry these characteristics, such as tender, decent, tolerant and be good at household work. The real life is never as good as imaging. Therefore, both Chinese wives and western husbands feel disappointed from their stereotype.
3.Ethnocentrism
Those husbands coming from western countries think they are superior to other nations, and hence there is a consistent tendency to disregard Chinese wives and their cultures.
4. Different cultural patterns
Chinese people and westerners are cultivated under two totally opposite cultural patterns, for instance, Chinese hold the collectivism while westerners the individualism; Chinese enjoy sharing while westerners respect privacy; Chinese believe all family members are in hierarchy while westerns consider they are all equal, etc. such culture differences always lead misunderstanding between them.
5. Different gender identity and role patterns
In Sino-Western intercultural marriage, Chinese women's characteristics of gender role ("good wives and wise mothers", "mildness, virtuousness, consideration of others") are appreciated by their western husband, and in daily lives, they both feel good and enjoyable. In contrast, in marriages between Chinese husbands (never do housework at home) and western wives (with the concept that women and men are equal), conflicts are inevitable and may lead to failed marriage.
6. Disagreement on children disciplining
The couples in Sino-Western marriage always have conflicts in the following questions: should the baby take care of the grandparents or the caretaker? Should the baby be protected from potential danger or just allow to craw, stumble and fall? Should the baby take care of the grandparents or the caretaker? Should the baby be protected from potential danger or just allow to craw, stumble and fall?
ⅣSuggestions to the Intercultural Couples
First, before signing the agreement of marriage, couples should make sure they have no language barrier and have enough knowledge about the customs of their spouse. For example, the Chinese potential wives should understand the importance of privacy in the west, and the western potential husbands are supposed to know the significance of the advice of their parents-in-law.
Second, after marriage, the couples from different culture should discuss with their spouses the failed parts of every aspect of their life, try to find out the reasons and make efforts together to solve them.
Third, intercultural couples should do as the homogenous couples, i.e. to give as much understanding as possible, to make compromise at proper times, to think stood on the point view of their spouses.
V Conclusion
Communication, cultural adaptation as well as mutual efforts are critical to the success of the intercultural marriage.
References：
[1] Dodd, C.H. Dynamics of Intercultural Communication [M]. Dubuque, IA: Brown, 1991
[2] Hall, E. T., & Hall, M. R., Understanding Cultural Differences: German, French and Americans [M], Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, 1990
[3] 賈玉新.跨文化交际学[M].上海外语教育出版社,1997．
[4] 婚姻七日谈， 跨国婚姻成少败多 [M]，心理世界，2007
作者简介：王佳佳（1982-10），女，汉族，山西大同人，山西财经大学经贸外语学院 2009级研究生，主要研究方向：英语教育。