International Journal of Intercultural Relations最新文献

{"title":"Fostering empathic connections between domestic students and international students in Canada via expressions of hope","authors":"Ying Shan Doris Zhang ,&nbsp;Denise J. Larsen ,&nbsp;Kimberly A. Noels ,&nbsp;Chelsea Hobbs","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102235","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102235","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Studying abroad provides opportunities for personal and professional growth, but it also presents challenges, especially in regards to language barriers and cultural differences. These challenges may complicate cross-cultural transitions for international students, leading to feelings of social isolation. To address these difficulties, the present study examines the potential of hope-based dialogues as a way to bridge these gaps, fostering intercultural understanding, empathy, and stronger connections between international and domestic students in Canada. Grounded in positive psychology, the current research emphasizes the role of hope, in particular, other-oriented hope, in promoting empathic intercultural connections. Specifically, this study examines whether dialogues centered on shared experiences of cross-cultural adjustment can deepen the understanding and connections between students from different cultural backgrounds. Twelve international students and 11 domestic students from a Western Canadian university participated in a two-session interactive workshop, during which they engaged in a series of activities designed to elicit hope-based conversations related to their study abroad experiences. Thematic analysis revealed that these dialogues effectively fostered empathy and facilitated meaningful connections that transcended cultural boundaries. The participants’ shared experiences of cross-cultural challenges, which highlighted common struggles, and thereby enhanced mutual understanding. Further, shared aspirations sparked expressions of other-oriented hope - hopes for the success and well-being of others, which further strengthened these connections. Together, the findings underscore the potential of hope-based dialogues to promote positive intercultural interactions, suggesting that integrating such conversations into university support programs and broader intercultural contexts, such as immigrant services, can enhance social integration and foster community building.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"108 ","pages":"Article 102235"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144524275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Applying an equivalent indigenous concept model to understand Love in Mandarin Chinese (爱) and Ukrainian (кохаю)","authors":"Fan Yang ,&nbsp;David Dalsky","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102237","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102237","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Love is a universal phenomenon, yet indigenous conceptualizations of <em>love</em> exist by the thousands in languages worldwide. In this paper, the authors propose that sharing linguistic knowledge (explicit semantic and implicit pragmatic) and cultural knowledge (explicit etic and implicit emic) of indigenous <em>love</em> concepts through intercultural dialogue can liberate people’s understanding of <em>love</em> “imprisoned in English” (Wierzbicka, 2013) from an indigenous psychology perspective. The authors propose an “Equivalent Indigenous Concept Model” for the intercultural understanding of <em>love</em> in Mandarin Chinese (爱; a<em>i</em>) and Ukrainian (кохаю; <em>kohayu</em>). In this study, two graduate students (a Chinese and a Ukrainian) enrolled in an <em>Intercultural Understanding Pedagogy</em> seminar at a leading Japanese research university discussed their indigenous conceptualizations of <em>love</em>. Results of an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) based on the students’ intercultural communication (in English) suggest that, at the semantic and etic levels, both 爱 and кохаю represent profound emotions in romantic relationships. However, at the pragmatic and emic levels, 爱 functions as emotional ties that connect the individual, family, and nation, with an emphasis on commitment and responsibility. In contrast, кохаю primarily describes romantic love, specifically applicable to romantic partners, and emphasizes its sacredness. The scope, historical roots, and expressions of <em>love</em> concepts—as well as the dynamic and bittersweet nature of love and its relationships with marriage and family—are discussed from Chinese and Ukrainian socio-cultural perspectives. These findings support the proposition that equivalent indigenous concepts such as 爱 and кохаю represent a universal phenomenon – love, in this case – yet are likely expressed and experienced differently in specific cultural contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"108 ","pages":"Article 102237"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144513551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Love, culture, and well-being: How values moderate the link between relationship status and well-being across 57 countries","authors":"Magdalena Śmieja ,&nbsp;Alicja Walczak ,&nbsp;Jakub Cacek ,&nbsp;Maciej R. Górski ,&nbsp;Michael Harris Bond ,&nbsp;Biljana Gjoneska ,&nbsp;M. Azhar Hussain ,&nbsp;Mohsen Joshanloo ,&nbsp;Ewa Szumowska ,&nbsp;Julien Teyssier ,&nbsp;Victoria Wai Lan Yeung ,&nbsp;Brian W. Haas ,&nbsp;Farida Guemaz ,&nbsp;Mahmoud Boussena ,&nbsp;Ángel Sánchez-Rodríguez ,&nbsp;Nuha Iter ,&nbsp;Olha Vlasenko ,&nbsp;Vivian Miu-Chi Lun ,&nbsp;Liman Man Wai Li ,&nbsp;Nur Amali Aminnuddin ,&nbsp;Kuba Krys","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102232","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the interplay between relationship status, well-being, and values across 57 countries. We hypothesized that individuals in romantic relationships would report higher well-being (measured as happiness, harmony, and meaning in life) compared to singles. We anticipated that in cultures prioritizing relationships, the benefits of being coupled would be amplified, while in societies emphasizing autonomy, the well-being gap would diminish. Specifically, we posited that values prevalent in WEIRD societies (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic)–such as self-direction and achievement–would positively moderate the association between relationship status and well-being, whereas values characteristic of non-WEIRD societies–such as tradition and conformity–would have a negative moderating effect. Our findings support that coupled individuals generally report higher well-being; however, the moderating effects of cultural values were more complex than expected. Cultural classifications of WEIRD and non-WEIRD did not consistently explain the well-being gap. Interestingly, in cultures emphasizing conformity, single and coupled individuals both reported greater meaning, leading to an overall decrease in the well-being gap. Conversely, higher self-direction values were associated with a wider well-being gap, with singles experiencing decreased happiness and meaning. These findings suggest that values such as conformity and self-direction exert domain-specific effects on well-being, influenced by broader social context and individual perceptions. Our research highlights the necessity of integrating cultural and individual factors in well-being research to achieve a more nuanced understanding of the quality of life for singles and those in relationships.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"108 ","pages":"Article 102232"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144502152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reassessing the metrics of integration: Toward eliminating the blur between theory and statistics to clarify effect sizes, measurement, and causality in acculturation psychology","authors":"Dmitry Grigoryev ,&nbsp;Albina Gallyamova ,&nbsp;Elizaveta Komyaginskaya","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102240","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102240","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The debate around the integration hypothesis in acculturation research frequently centers on the interpretation of effect sizes. While critics argue that these effects are too small and inconsistent to be meaningful, supporters maintain that they reflect statistically robust and theoretically coherent patterns. This controversy reveals a broader epistemological challenge in psychology: persistent ambiguity regarding what constitutes a ‘sufficient’ effect size, rooted in limited attention to the philosophical foundations of measurement and causality. In particular, this includes neglect of the ergodic fallacy—the mistaken assumption that group-level patterns apply directly to individuals—and confusion between statistical regularities and causal explanations. This paper addresses these concerns through three interrelated discussions. First, it re-evaluates the empirical status of the integration hypothesis in light of recent meta-analyses and the epistemic weight of small effects in complex systems. Second, it analyzes how effect sizes should be interpreted across different levels of analysis—individual, inter-individual, and group—and emphasizes the need to align interpretation with the appropriate unit of explanation. Third, it explores the philosophical foundations of psychological measurement, distinguishing between data patterns, theoretical constructs, and causal inferences. Rather than viewing effect sizes as direct indicators of psychological properties or causal strength, we conceptualize them as structured regularities shaped by research design, measurement models, and ontological assumptions. By clarifying these issues, this paper offers a framework for more coherent, theoretically informed interpretations of empirical findings in acculturation psychology and calls for a shift from simplistic magnitude judgments to context-sensitive evaluation of what effect sizes represent.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"108 ","pages":"Article 102240"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144470296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The social identity and psychology of mixed-race individuals: An international study","authors":"Mark Cleveland","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102239","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102239","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Immigration drives population growth in most Western countries. The resulting cultural diversity is accompanied by a sharp rise in mixed-race unions and people with mixed-race heritage. Many studies have investigated ethnic and racial identity and to account for their impact on self-concept, cognition, emotions, and behaviors. Relative to their monoracial counterparts, mixed-race individuals face additional challenges when constructing and expressing their ethnic and racial identity, and these processes are further complicated by how others perceive and label them. Research into mixed-race social identity and the predictors and psychological outcomes of this identity, is still in its infancy. With data gathered from mixed-race individuals living in three countries (Canada, USA, UK), a second order factor structure for operationalizing multidimensional character of mixed-race identity (MRI) is tested. I then investigate how various aspects of MRI are informed by the minority-parent’s ethnic maintenance, and by independent and interdependent self-construals. I also examine how MRI affects collective self-esteem and life satisfaction, and how it associates with a series of pertinent beliefs and opinions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"108 ","pages":"Article 102239"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144470295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Personality and cross-cultural adjustment: The moderating role of cross-cultural motivation in Chinese students' adjustment to life in Russia","authors":"Yulia Muzychenko ,&nbsp;Olga Morozova","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102231","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102231","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores the moderating role of cross-cultural motivation in the relationship between personality traits and adjustment outcomes among Chinese students in Russia. As internationalization fosters global cooperation, understanding the factors that aid students' cross-cultural and psychological adaptation is critical. The research involved 538 Chinese students with a median age of 23.0 years (IQR: 21.0–25.0) (38.5 % male) from four Moscow universities. Emotional stability (Goldberg's IPIP-50), sense of coherence (Antonovsky's scale), and cross-cultural motivation (Ang and Van Dyne's CQ scales) were examined as predictors of cross-cultural adjustment (Black and Stephens' scale) and educational satisfaction (modified Hackman and Oldham scale).</div><div>Results showed that cross-cultural motivation moderated the relationship between emotional stability and cross-cultural adjustment (β = −.122, p &lt; .01). Higher motivation weakened the positive link between emotional stability and cross-cultural adjustment, benefiting students with lower emotional stability. Additionally, cross-cultural motivation was a strong independent predictor of adjustment outcomes (β =.429, p &lt; .001 for cross-cultural adjustment; β =.171, p &lt; .001 for educational satisfaction). These findings highlight the importance of cross-cultural motivation for the broader student population, not just those with low personality predispositions, and offer practical insights for improving international students' experiences. This research also contributes to the expansion of the integrative communication theory of cross-cultural adaptation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"108 ","pages":"Article 102231"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144365421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Systemic perspectives on love in South Africa through the lens of Bronfenbrenner's theory","authors":"Claude-Hélène Mayer","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102236","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102236","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Emotions, such as love, are affected by a web of systemic dynamics and relationships and socio-cultural influences. In this article, South African, non-WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democrativ) voices on love in the context of systemic relationships are presented. The study uses Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to explore how systemic relationships and love are interrelated. It uses a qualitative research approach within the hermeneutical–interpretative research paradigm. Purposeful, convenient and snowball sampling strategies are used. The sample consists of 14 South African (Black, Indian, Coloured and White) individuals whereby six self-identify as male and the other six as female. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. They were analysed through thematic analysis. Findings show that love is impacted through a web of relationships at all levels of Bronfenbrenner’s theory, whereby the microlayer level seems to be the most important in influencing love concepts. Sociocultural, ethnic and gender differences further impact on love conceptualizations. The study suggests that Bronfenbrenner’s theory needs to be expanded with regard to technological and spiritual influences on love in the South African context. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations are given for future research and practice in non-WEIRD contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"108 ","pages":"Article 102236"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144330671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cultural security in the context of globalization: A bibliometric analysis and trend exploration","authors":"Haohan Meng ,&nbsp;Zihan Wang,&nbsp;Xiaoyu Li,&nbsp;Jinhua Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102234","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102234","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As globalization advances, both cultural diversity and homogenization spread globally, intensifying local communities’ concerns about cultural security. This study uses bibliometric analysis of 520 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection, combining quantitative and qualitative methods, to explore the relationship between globalization and cultural security. It identifies key issues, examines research trends, and highlights the evolution of the field. Findings show that globalization accelerates cultural exchange through international networks but also exacerbates cultural homogenization, undermining individuals’ sense of security. The spread of foreign cultures threatens indigenous traditions, prompting nationalism and cultural protectionism, and raising awareness of cultural security. Research in this area focuses on three main themes: psychological and social behavioral changes, challenges to cultural identity and heritage preservation, and debates on nationalism. Over time, the focus has shifted from globalization’s risks to cultural identity toward strategies for cultural protection and localized responses, with a growing interest in the polarizing effects of globalization. Cultural security has become a national priority, with emphasis on both cultural preservation and integration. Regionally, cultural security imbalances persist, especially in areas where cultures face erosion or marginalization. High-impact citations underscore the need for a multidisciplinary approach to studying the sociocultural effects of globalization, though theoretical contributions remain limited. This paper offers a comprehensive overview and calls for further research and international collaboration to address the challenges of globalization on cultural security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"108 ","pages":"Article 102234"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144308006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Labeling immigrants: Examining the effects of labels on associations toward immigrants","authors":"Juliana Fernandes ,&nbsp;Moritz Cleve","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102230","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Immigrants in the United States are often described in the media using a variety of <em>labels</em> (e.g., <em>illegal, authorized</em>). While these labels are connected to an immigrant’s documented status within a nation, they can also evoke associations that dehumanize these groups and perpetuate stereotypes. Guided by framing and the stereotype content model, this research examines the effects of labels on associations about immigrants. Using a multi-study approach, results show that associations are quicker for some labels (<em>illegal</em>) and slower for others (<em>authorized)</em> (Study 1a), that exposure to positive labels produces more favorable associations than exposure to negative labels (Study 1b), and that the interaction of association type (warmth/morality vs. competence) with valence accounts for more variance in evaluations than labels, especially for negative valence (Study 2). The studies suggest a stronger influence of associations about warmth and morality compared to associations about an immigrant’s competence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"108 ","pages":"Article 102230"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144298190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leader humility as a form of love: Building trust and cooperative culture in Japanese organizations","authors":"Soyeon Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102226","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102226","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores how leader humility as a relational expression of love in shaping prosocial organizational outcomes with a focus on the mediating roles of trust and cooperative organizational culture. Drawing on social identity theory and leadership-as love perspectives, the research highlights the role of leader humility as a form of love in organizational leadership, aligning deeply with Japanese cultural vlaues such as Wa (harmony) and Omoiyari (thoughtful empathy and consideration). Adopting a time-lagged survey design, data were collected from 392 employees in Japan. The findings reveal that leader humility is positively associated withorganizational citizenship behaviors (OCB), and that this relationship is mediated independently by both trust and cooperative organizational culture. This study contributes to the existing literature by highlighting leader humility as a expression of love contextualized in Japan and identifying its role in activating interpersonal and collective mechanism within organizations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48216,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Intercultural Relations","volume":"108 ","pages":"Article 102226"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144280977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}