Dealing with Differences: A Study of Intercultural Marriages between Native Finns and Nepali Immigrants

Abstract

Globalization and increased international mobility have led to the rise of intercultural marriages across the globe. The rate of intercultural marriage has significantly risen in Finland as well. This research aims to study the phenomenon of intercultural marriage between native Finns and Nepali immigrants residing in Finland. The study explores the intercultural experiences of participants, conflicts arising between the couples due to the cultural differences and the ways they deal with the conflicts.

The research is qualitative in nature and employs semi-structured interviews as the method of data collection. Six Finnish-Nepali couples have participated in detailed, narrative interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using narrative analysis.

The results reveal that the cultural differences between the intercultural couples play important roles in creating both excitements and conflicts in their marital lives. The richness of two different cultures including food, festivals, rituals and language learning are some of the interesting facets of an intercultural marriage. On the contrary, lack of knowledge of one another’s language and cultural differences regarding gender roles, family and finance can create conflicts. However, effective communication, love, respect and mutual understanding and acceptance of each other’s culture positively help the couples to minimize and resolve conflicts.