PDF Version. Is love really our destiny in life? What do different cultural traditions tell us about predestined connection? Love is often viewed as a mysterious force—one that many societies attribute to fate. The English word ‘destiny’ derives from Latin, … Continue reading
Category Archives: Eastern cultures
The Spectrum of Sex and Sexual Love in the “Kamasutra”
PDF Version. Why do we love the way we sex, and sex the way we love? Modern pop culture often considers that the ancient Kamasutra is merely a catalog of sexual practices. Actually, its text presents the art of love … Continue reading
How Culture Shapes Sexual Love and Its Lexicon
PDF Version. Is sexual desire a universal biological drive or merely a cultural construct? Although the evolutionary biology of human sexual desire is substantially similar, the linguistic and psychological frameworks people use to understand sexual attraction and desire vary significantly. … Continue reading
The Indian Myth of Kamadeva, the Hindu God of Love
Many modern Western symbols of love date back to the early Greeks and Romans. Eros was the Greek god of love, while Cupid was the Roman god of love and desire. The image of a chubby Cupid aiming love arrows … Continue reading
The Golden Age of Love Marriage in Western Societies
Love marriage appears to be a valuable cultural value in many countries throughout Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as many other modernized societies around the world. However, it was not always true in history. In the … Continue reading
How People Experience Emotions in Collectivistic Cultures
People in collectivistic societies commonly have a personal identity strongly integrated into their group. Accordingly, the cultural norms of collectivistic societies assume interdependent relations with each other and with a group, such as extended family and kin. Their relational values … Continue reading
Cultural Values in Collectivistic Cultures
Collectivism and individualism were among the cultural constructs and dimensions that early cross-cultural psychologists identified and elaborated on in the 1980s and 1990s (Hofstede, 1980/1984; Marsella et al., 1985; Triandis, 1995). Since then, researchers have widely used the cultural parameters … Continue reading
The Chinese Culture of Altruistic Love
Western scholars and the educated public are well familiar with the concepts of altruism and altruistic love. In the ancient Greek philosophy, the word “agape” defined this kind of altruistic, selfless, and all-giving love. Later, Christian teachings elevated the concept … Continue reading
Three Surprisingly Unusual Matriarchal Cultures in Asia
Many of us are familiar with traditional patriarchal societies that are widespread across the world. In patriarchy, the father is both the home and family head in many respects. Can a matriarchal culture of gender relations be possible and viable? … Continue reading
Religions in Cultural Perspectives
How Are Religious Cultures Different from National Cultures? Religious cultures are similar to national cultures yet differ in several ways. Religion, like national and ethnic cultures, can be thought of as a type of culture and a cultural system (Cohen, … Continue reading