Intercultural Marriages Between Chinese and Japanese: Chinese Wives’ Perspectives

Hongyan Lan

Intercultural Communication Studies ›› 2019, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (2) : 7

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Intercultural Communication Studies ›› 2019, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (2) :7
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Intercultural Marriages Between Chinese and Japanese: Chinese Wives’ Perspectives
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Abstract

This study focuses on intercultural marriages between Chinese wives and their Japanese husbands, who are residing in China as expatriates of Japanese companies. In-depth interviews were conducted with six participants in their native language Mandarin Chinese; general questions such as how the couples met, what brought them to marriages, what kinds of conflict they have had between them, and how they managed it were integrated in a natural flow during the interviews. The results report the perceptions of Chinese wives regarding each other’s cultural backgrounds as well as their choice to manage their marital relationships with their Japanese spouses.

Keywords

Chinese wives / expatriates / intercultural marriage / interpersonal communication / Japanese husbands

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Hongyan Lan. Intercultural Marriages Between Chinese and Japanese: Chinese Wives’ Perspectives. Intercultural Communication Studies, 2019, 28 (2) : 7 DOI:

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