Intimacy
Personal traits and personalities determine the way people in an intimate relationship behave in a particular social setting (Timothy & Paula, 2016). Intimate relationships denote to the interpersonal relationship, which involves emotional and physical intimacy. Getting along with each other in contact is very vital in the way people express themselves in a multicultural aspect, such as a new environment with a different cultural setting. Baker and Halford explain that there are various standards of intimacy in a relationship, and the rules vary by the personalities of the sex partners in a relationship (Baker &, Halford, 2019). Baker and Halford (2019) found that relationships deserve a particular capacity of comfort. Relationships require both partners to be honest and open to each other and exhibit utmost respect for each other. An honest and open relationship will, in turn, facilitate culture adjustment. The female partners in a relationship are significant determiners of the bond and intimacy in a relationship (Baker &, Halford, 2019). So, their personalities are vital in adjustments in cross-cultural environments if such situations arise. According to research conducted by Fisher et al. (2012), men tend to be happy whenever the female has an excellent relationship with his family. Also, couples who embrace their partner’s friends tend to be more satisfied compared to couples who have separate family lives and separate friends.
Additionally, a female is reported to exhibit gestures to their male partners that show they are thinking about them; such gestures tend to strengthen the bond in a relationship. Women tend to exhibit such acts such as hand-holding, and midday love mails, such acts tend to enhance the bond in a relationship (Fitness, J., Fletcher, G., & Overall, N. 2007). The strong bond between the spouses and their partner’s friends plays a significant role in facilitating cross-culture adjustment (Hotta & Ting-Toomey, 2013). Female and male spouses with a strong sense of making bonds tend to adjust swiftly while in a new environment.
There are different types of intimacy at different levels. Physical intimacy denotes the way physical touch and contact towards your loved ones (Holland et al., 2016). Emotions are expressed by physical touch. Regarding emotional intimacy, only partners can share their deeper, darkest desires. The couples share happiness and sad moments emotionally. Spiritual intimacy, on the other hand, facilitates the partners to share morals, values, spiritual beliefs, religious views, and ethics to achieve in the relationship. Intellectual partners share their intellectual ideas and respecting the intellectual viewpoints of each other (Tolstedt & Stokes, 2003). The existence of a strong intimate relationship between the partners plays a significant role in enhancing the cross-cultural adjustment. A discussion of deeper feelings and issues such as values, spiritual beliefs, ethics and morals helps the partners to adjust swiftly to the new founded culture (Adelman, 1998). Hence physical and spiritual intimacy a significant determinant of the cross-culture adjustment.
Relationships are mainly based on intimacy and the closeness of the spouses to one another. Different tasks, career businesses, and assignments at times may affect the levels of privacy in relationships, especially when people have to adjust to different cultural backgrounds (Steuber, 2009). Various models and theories of intimacy and closeness have been developed and found to have different effects on the adjustment abilities of people in cross-cultural environments. Three significant models define an intimate relationship; selfhood model, attachment model, and elementary pragmatic model (Dyk & Adams, 2005). Attachment theory is an enduring and deep emotional bond that links a person to the other across space and time. Thee intimacy and closeness models have been found to have different effects on the adjustment abilities of people in cross-cultural environments (Dyk & Adams, 2005). The attachment was found to be universal all over the cultures. Existence of a high degree of affection amongst the couples plays a significant role in the cross-cultural adjustment. The personalities traits of the female spouses are substantial players in a relationship cannot be downplayed as they affect the adjustments and adaptation to new cultures. Intimacy in relationships is viewed in either mutual affection or privacy in the relationship itself. Mutual intimacy, on the other hand, denotes to the mutual openness, sharing and vulnerability amongst the couples, usually present in the loving and close relationships such as friendships and marriages (Levine, 2016). Mutual intimacy entails the closeness of the individuals to the different cultures, while intimacy in the relationship involves the relationship between the married couples. The personalities of the female spouses in a relationship; therefore, affect the adjustment of expatriates to the different cultures they may be exposed to or may be taken. Relationships founded on the closeness and intimacy tend to influence the cultural adjustment amongst the expatriate families. Spouses are willing to assimilate new cultural beliefs and norms since they don’t want to spoil the intimacy present in their relationship. Strong intimacy amongst the spouses enables them to overcome the challenges encountered while in a new culture setting (Khalil, Jabeen & Salman, 2016).
According to Johnson and Daneneau (2009), there exist various facets of intimacy; the multiple facets include emotion, intention, sexuality, involvement, and gender. Recreational intimacy, on the other hand, enables the couples to relax, have fun together, and develop an interest in various non-essential pursuits (Kanwal & Akhtar, 2018). Johnson and Daneneau (2009) regard intimacy as a “relational event in which trusting self-disclosure is responded to with communicated empathy.” Schaefer, on the other hand, regard intimacy as the practice that happens over time, that is never wholly actualized or concluded. It involves the understanding, paying attention, and acceptance of the genuine self of another person (Walker et al., 2011). Research indicated that there exists a direct relationship amid marital satisfaction and marital intimacy; he went on and added that a rise in marital intimacy affects marital satisfaction positively (Heller & Wood, 1998). Despite that female and male spouses tend to have parallel views regarding self-disclosure and privacy in marital relationships, researchers claimed that there is a difference in how female spouses and male spouses tend to view marital satisfaction and intimacy in the relationship (Kim, 2008). According to Gadassi et al. (2016), women ten to experience less marital satisfaction compared to men. However, research conducted by Gager and Sanchez (2003) indicated that there is no significant difference between male and female spouses’ marital satisfaction. Hence, there are no clear findings regarding male and female satisfaction while in a relationship. Women are more capable of discussing intimate problems with urge and warmth with their fellow female spouses compared to men (Stewart, E. C., & Bennett, 2011). Intimacy is also believed to satisfy diverse functions for female spouses and male spouses. Men tend to carry the outcome of the intimate relationship into other sectors of functioning; however, intimacy relationship for female results to greater happiness and satisfaction in the relationship (Caligiuri, 1982). However, according to the study conducted by Olson and Lavee (2009), there is no difference amid the rate of male spouses and female spouses in sectors of intellectual, emotional, and recreational intimacy (Olson and Lavee, 2009).
Whenever men feel discontented in their relationships, they try to adopt physical intimate through recreational intimacy (engaging in fun activities with their partners to rejuvenate the relationship). Whenever women feel discontented in their relationships, they try to regain the emotional intimate through intellectual intimacy (engaging in a conversation to help settle issues through sharing their feelings with their spouses). Hence, this indicates that both male and female spouses tend to take different routes while trying to solve the intimacy issues in their relationships (Fernandez-Reino & Gonzalez-Ferrer, 2019). Consequently, this could result in conflict and isolation between the couples, each of them demanding that their needs be met first before addressing the needs of their partners (Fernandez-Reino & Gonzalez-Ferrer, 2019). However, there is no enough evidence on the current research regarding the intimacy conflict resulting from the different perspective between male and female. Thus, more research needs to be conducted to fully investigate the issue of intimacy conflicts and how it relates to cross-cultural adjustment.
Research conducted by Marshall Tara on the cultural differences in intimacy and the gender roles in cross-cultural relationships shows that lower intimacy may lead to lower relationship satisfaction (Marshall Tara,2008). The female spouses are the most critical aspects of ensuring higher relationships and privacy as they are part and parcel of the link (Pain, 2014). Different cultures present different causes of actions on the closeness of people and genders in a relationship that female spouses might be affected by the equality aspects in the different cultures. The existence of a different cause of actions on the closeness and intimacy amongst the couples tend to have a significant impact on the cultural adjustment. For instance, female spouses moving to Austria tend to encounter huge culture variation. Forced marriages and forced genital cutting are amongst the major cultural differences in Austria that inhibit cross-culture adjustment amongst female moving in Austria (Leutloff-Reino, 2019). Such practices tend to affect the intimacy between the spouses, and female may opt to move back to their mother country (Leutloff-Reino, 2019).
Marshall & Tara further explained that the interpersonal interactions and the closeness of the people in a relationship lead to the adjustment of their traits to the cultures they experience in their endeavours (Marshall & Tara, 2008). If people are intimate, they may feel to be together all the time and thus may not do anything that would hinder their relationship (Marshall & Tara, 2008). Female personality traits such as empathy, gentleness, humility, and sensitivity tend to have a significant impact on cultural adjustment. Men’s personality traits, on the other hand, tend to differ from female personality traits. For instance, men are found to be more dominant than female (aggressive and forceful) and emotionally stable Kniel & Godin, 2019). The sensitivity associated with female personality tends to have a significant impact on cultural adjustment. Various cultural factors tend to have a significant influence on women while in the new environment setting; this tends to hinder their adjustment to the new culture setting. Female spouses tend to exhibit aggressive behaviours while whenever put in extreme situations by their spouses. For instance, when the male spouse demands a change in female behaviour to match new cultural settings and norms. Forcing the female to change their practices may trigger conflict; this, in turn, causes a detrimental effect on the cross-cultural adjustment (Eshel et al., 2015). Female personalities may thus hinder the way the individuals adjust to new cultural environments.
Studies have shown the different reasons people may find themselves in an expatriate situation and have to contend with the multicultural environment. Work, marriage, or immigration for any purpose may lead to a person being in a position or environment with different cultural aspects from their own cultures. The way people accept the new environment and how they perceive the new environment is vital in determining their ability to cope and adjust to the new environment and adapt to the cultures of the new environment. The traits of the female counterparts in the relationship affect the adjustment to the unique cultural settings in many ways, as explained by Caligiuri by the way they take the aspects as vital (Caligiuri, 2000). The connectivity and intimacy of the spouses affect how they view and value the different cultures they are exposed to overtime. Female spouses tend to be more intimate than the male counterparts, and so they determine the adjustments of the relationship to the multicultural setting. More intimacy amongst the female spouses towards their relationship enables a quicker adjustment to a new culture. According to Hill (2019), higher intimacy between the spouses facilitates cross-cultural adjustment.
Intimacy is a vital aspect of every relationship since it’s based on the closeness of partners. The roles of women in expatriate relationships have increased over time and cannot be disputed. There is an increase in the female expatriates; currently, the roles of the expatriate females are shifting due to the technological and globalization in the current society. Around ten percent 10%,) of the expatriate women are in their marriages where they experience a reversed traditional status and roles since they are the chief source of income for their household (Varma & Russell, 2016). Studies have been conducted to show the intimacy aspects of the female spouse in various kinds of relationships. They have shown that female spouses are more influential in their relationships. Being more influential in relationships means that the female spouses can control some aspects of the relationship, and so their personalities are vital in the multicultural setting (P. Greeff, Hildegarde L. Malherbe, 2016). Women play a significant, influential role in decision making in the household. Although they might not exhibit actual decision making, they greatly influence the males to make crucial decisions by giving their views and opinions (P. Greeff, Hildegarde L. Malherbe, 2016). Since female spouses are more intimate in the relationships and that they tend to care more to their partners and families, they thus influence the adjustment to a new cultural environment in several ways. Prior experience in the relationships shows that the personalities of the female spouses may be adequate to judge and come up with reasonable answers and solutions to the various challenges the couple may face in a foreign environment. The personalities of women, which include love and affection to their partners or the family, may lead them to make different decisions when in different cultural settings.
Research conducted by Fitzpatrick (2017) indicated that the intimacy aspect of a relationship is vital in ensuring the emotional support of partners in a relationship. Intimate partners offer support to each other even in difficult times. Female spouses are more supportive of their counterparts and may assist them in adjusting to new cultural settings if the need arises. According to Prager, Shirvani, Garcia, & Coles, intimacy enhances satisfaction in relationships. Improving satisfaction can be looked at as how couples feel comfortable and easy going to their counterparts and can adjust and concentrate on their current environment without worry (Prager, Shirvani, Garcia, & Coles, 2013). Female spouses offer support to their male counterparts and also give them advice and the love they require for motivation and thus enable them to concentrate on other issues and adapt to new cultures. If women are married to cultures different from the original customs, they tend to exhibit their inborn characters. Female personality traits such as sensitivity, passivity, cooperativeness and expressiveness play a significant role in enabling female spouses to swiftly adjust in the new environment culture settings (Perry et al., 2017).
Male, on the other hand, possess dormant personality traits, such as aggressiveness, this tends to limit their ability to adjust swiftly to a new cultural setting (Perry et al., 2017). Prager, Shirvani, Garcia, & Coles, conducted a study to establish and learn about the intimacy aspects and how they affect a relationship. The study found that the relationships which lack intimacy are less progressive, and they affect the psychology of the partners (Prager, Shirvani, Garcia, & Coles, 2013). The intimacy aspect affects the connection of the spouses and thus helps them adjust to new environments with ease. According to Prager, Shirvani, Garcia, & Coles, the relations and the connections of the couples is also a determinant to the wellbeing of the individual in a relationship (Prager, Shirvani, Garcia, & Coles, 2013). Thus, the personality of the persons in the relationship determines the adjustment of the person in a new culture, the existence of various personalities such as empathy, sensitivity, passivity, cooperativeness and expressiveness enhance interaction and embracement of new cultural norms and beliefs with ease. Research indicates that there exist various forms of intimacy (Birnie-Porter & Lydon, 2012). One of the types of intimacy is physical intimacy. Physical intimacy among the spouses means showing each other affection through having physical contact and touch. Various types of intimacy, such as physical, emotional, intellectual, and experimental intimacy, play a significant role in the stability of the relationships. Stability of the relationship is a critical factor that helps indicate the cross-cultural adjustment. However, current research has not explored the complete relationship between intimacy and cross-cultural adjustment; more research needs to be conducted to develop a full report regarding intimacy and cross-cultural adjustment.