You might be asking yourself, what is cultural appropriateness? Why is this important for a successful relationship? Great question! According to the encyclopedia, cultural appropriateness refers to having sensitivity towards other cultures and an awareness of how other ethnic, racial, and/or linguistic groups differ from one’s own. In simpler terms, understanding your spouse’s culture can help better your relationship by truly understanding them to their core. No matter the color of their skin, their worldly background or where they grew up, it’s important to listen, understand and accept your spouse’s culture and collectively achieve cultural appropriateness together. 

Understanding and openly valuing cultural differences is a beautiful and amazing thing, here are five tips to help you better communicate your culture appropriateness to your significant other and, in hopes, establish a solid foundation to build your relationships upon: 

Personal Awareness

The first step is acknowledging the fact that you and your significant other come from different backgrounds and different cultures. It doesn’t matter if you grew up down the street from one another or 7,000 miles away, we were all raised differently and are molded from different experiences. Once you have realized your differences, you can start to shape those differences into similarities by taking the time to understand one another. While you may be cut from the same cloth we all come from different fabrics. Listening, acknowledging and accepting your spouse’s culture will only propel your relationships forward. 

The Reason Why

The hardest part of cross-cultural communication is to willingly put aside your own beliefs. We know that individual differences are everywhere, affecting what we do and say. Most people often base their expectations of others on their own beliefs too. Once we are able to understand the dynamic differences of cultures within our relationships, we will achieve peace and acceptance. This is important because the world is a collage of different cultures, different backgrounds and different experiences and that is what makes it beautiful- the same can be said for different cultures in a relationship. The reason why is love, acceptance and peace. 

Don’t Assume

Many of you might be thinking, I’ve been with my spouse for many years and I know all of the ins and outs of their background and culture. Do you? Have you asked? Many times conversations about culture appropriateness aren’t had because we think we know the answers to the questions. Don’t assume you do. Take the time to ask those tough questions, stay present and stay open to understanding your spouse’s culture. Obtaining cultural knowledge not only shows your spouse you care about them but it shows you want to truly understand their heart and soul. 

Acceptance

Phew! You’ve done the hard part! You’ve listened, learned and understood your spouse’s background, beliefs and culture. Great job! Now, is acceptance. Acceptance may seem daunting but you have to remember that cultural diversity is what makes the world interesting, strong and unique. When learning to accept your spouse’s culture, look at it through their eyes. Once your rose-colored glasses have cleared, is when you can fully accept your spouse for who they are. Don’t be quick to judge or shut down their truth, but acknowledge their words, take a walk in their shoes and accept them for who they are. After all, you’ve already fallen in love with them! Accepting them on a deeper level should only strengthen your love and deepen your communication.

Value

Okay, okay, okay. So you’ve read the whole article and now what? The value of cultural appropriateness can not only be carried through your intimate relationship but it can be carried through your personal and professional life as well. Accepting and appreciating diversity on a worldly level will bring you peace, strengthen your communication with others and open your eyes to appreciate and accept a plethora of different cultures around you. Because wouldn’t it be boring if we were all like one another? 

It’s going to take some practice and having some very open and honest conversations, but you can do this! Have those conversations, listen to your spouse and accept their truth to unlock a deeper, more meaningful relationship than the one you already have.