Analyse the role that culture plays in the formation and maintenance of relationships.

Refer to the paper 2 assessment criteria when awarding marks.

The command term “analyse” requires candidates to bring out (emphasize) essential aspects of the role that culture plays in the formation and maintenance of relationships.

Candidates do not need to distinguish between the formation and maintenance of relationships, as the two are so closely linked.

Candidates may address different types of relationships, for example, romantic relationships, marriages, friendship, family relationships, workplace relationships.

Studies may include, but are not limited to:

• Yelsma and Athappilly’s (1988) comparative study of arranged marriages and love marriages
• Buss et al.’s (1990) study of international preferences in selecting mates (a study of 37 cultures)
• Levine et al.’s (1995) study on the role of love in the establishment of marriage
• Buss’s (1994) cross-cultural study of relationships
• Canary and Dainton’s (2003) study of Korean relationships
• Ahmad and Reid’s (2008) study of communication styles in arranged marriages
• Moghaddam et al.’s (1993) study on the influence of cultural dimensions, for example of individualism versus collectivism and the Western bias in research on relationships.

Evidence of critical thinking may be provided by candidates in the following ways:

• addressing the issue of universality (for example, equity is not a universal value in relationships)
• comparing and contrasting cultural similarities and differences in relationships (for example, do social norms affect how appropriate it is to express dissatisfaction with a marriage?)
• discussing the influence of biological factors
• evaluation of relevant research including analysis of the methodology and/or ethical considerations
• discussing evolutionary theory which suggests there are universal patterns in the formation and maintenance of relationships.