Short Report
A Qualitative Study of Conflict Resolution over Religious Cultural Practice and Change in the Relationship of Japanese-American Couples
2020 Volume 33 Issue 2 Pages 99-114
Details
2020 Volume 33 Issue 2 Pages 99-114
The purpose of this study is to explore how couples' conflict over religious cultural practice changes the relationship of the intercultural marriage couple. Multiple in-depth interviews were conducted to three Japanese wives who converted to new Christianity in Japan and moved to the United States, where they married an American husband. All of them were exploring divorce from their husband after 15―20 years of marriage. The interview data were analyzed using a qualitative analytical method (Nochi, 2010). The results are:
1） Japanese wives perceived that their religious practice, as new converts, was more sincere than the practice of their husbands, who were born into the religion, in areas such as altruism and prosocial behavior.
2） It is difficult for the Japanese spouse to leave the marriage when the Japanese spouse has devoted all her time and energy to the marriage and could not pursue the education and career development that would have made it easier for her to support herself independent of her husband.
3） It is difficult for the Japanese spouse to leave the marriage when leaving the marriage means leaving the only community that she knows in her adopted country.
