Race,
religion and ethnicity are three aspects of a human being that have lead to
persecution, misunderstanding, and debate ever since mankind could reason and
analyze. A misunderstanding, or fear, of someone who looks or behaves
differently is one of the main causes of events such as the Holocaust,
Apartheid, and even Terrorism. Yet amazingly, despite these “differences,” some
people choose to look past them, embrace them, and love them, especially in a
romantic relationship.
In my honors
thesis, I am attempting to answer why these individuals choose to interculturally
date. Do those who date outside of their culture, have a more satisfied and
committed relationship in which they are attracted to their partner and content
in that relationship, or do opposites attract?
Being in an intercultural relationship myself
caused me to question the very foundation of our love. My boyfriend, a
Hispanic, was born in the United States, but both of his parents were not. I,
myself, have grown up with few cultural customs other then that of a typical
American, and yet despite the huge differences in ethnic beliefs, we are able
to mold our two cultures and belief systems together to make our relationship
work. In my opinion, the strong differences between us are what fascinate and
draw me to him the most. This is the reason for my research on the topic; I
seek to discover whether a couple’s differences in culture draw them together
or apart, in other words, are we the rule or the exception.
In the future I
would love get a PhD in Psychology, specifically human development and see how
culture effects the learning process, the ability to form close interpersonal
relationships, and its effect on romantic involvement. This honors thesis has
helped me learn the research process in a way that not many undergraduate students
get the pleasure of experiencing. Nothing has been more exciting than
collecting and analyzing my data to see what exactly my results are and how
they compare to my hypotheses. The results, whether significant or not, make
the whole process worth it in the end.
