"Yes, I'm willing": Experiencing Culture in Intimate Intercultural Relationships

I introduce the book starting by my own personal experience of growing up in a mixed family and being myself in a mixed marriage. I describe the structure of the book by building up my own method: how I chose this topic, who were the people I interviewed, how (interviews, stories, and objects) and why was the single-but-critical instances analysis important. I focus on the richness of the interaction I had with the interviewees. I underlie the phenomenological stories of struggles, trust and vulnerability. The chapters resolve around power relations, expressing affection, in-depth communication, child rearing, conflict resolution strategies, empathy, female identity, future planning, the role of humor, the biggest cultural and linguistic challenges and opportunities. The focus is on the phenomenon captured in single-but-critical instances in participants' stories. I conclude by describing what significance culture has in intimate intercultural relationships.