Love is culturally and contextually bound. To foster intercultural understanding, empathy, and inclusivity in diverse societies, it is vital to recognize love’s cultural variations in everyday life, across both strong ties (e.g., partner, child) and weaker ties (e.g., neighbors, bus driver). Our prior research on the US population showed that people hold similar beliefs about love in both romantic and non-romantic contexts. We propose to expand this previous work into a transdisciplinary, cross-cultural project. Our project will employ a sequential exploratory mixed methods approach, integrating comprehensive qualitative research methodologies with advanced quantitative analytical tools embedded in the Cultural Consensus Theory. We aim to
1) understand how beliefs on love are shaped by values, religions, and cultural norms,
2) identify universal elements of daily experiences of love that bridge cultures and foster connections between people, and
3) test the link between love beliefs and wellbeing.
This exploration will span six culturally varied countries, providing a rich, global perspective on everyday experiences of love. Findings will lead to interdisciplinary collaborative initiatives, a series of scientific papers, conference presentations and an interactive online platform with a database sharing diverse cultural love insights. Ultimately, our research seeks to guide the understanding of love in a more inclusive manner, considering a wide array of cultural, societal, and relational contexts. This endeavor is not just an academic pursuit; it's a step towards building a more inclusive and empathetic global society, where the diverse expressions and understandings of love are recognized and valued.
