Do You Know The Significance of Cultural Relativity of Love?

Love, some people say it is blind, unconditional, while others go with different opinion. Everyone wants Love and it is an amazing feeling when you find one.

It can also be a psychological security, the kind of special feeling you get when you love someone and they reciprocate by doing the same.

People fall in love every day around the world, suffice to say it is a social norm that cuts across all societies. We shouldn't perhaps forget that since every society differs in certain ways so also love interpretation tends to differ.

The basis of love has a lot to do with the societal value and norms which could be perceived or seen from the cultural relativity concept. The term love is more of a psychological feelings, not physical but given environmental or cultural interpretation through the help of physical gestures and words.

This does not mean that there are no similarities across all groups of the world, perhaps, here are few unique interpretations that do come into play.

• There are cultures where it is unheard off for a woman to ask a man out, all the initiations are left for the men. In most of this type of society the man is seen as the main bread-winner, he is the provider, if by peradventure he is unable to fulfil his role he is labelled as a wicker man. Most societies started like this and some are still being ran in this manner. But slowly by slowly due to modernisation or industrialisation this practise is diminishing.
• There are other cultures where one could say it is fifty-fifty based. In this case any of the opposite sex can ask each other out, more-so responsibility is likewise. The modern society is adopting this system. One could conclude that it is because of its compatibility. Both husband and wife are working class which enable them to contribute to the upkeep of the home.
• Just as there are cultures where men are the breadwinners, women are as well the sole providers in a certain societies too. They take the role of the men while the men lazy about and only come to live during procreation.

Interestingly, one African culture fascinates me a lot when it comes to the matter of love. In this group of people the act of love expression by the female folks during courtship is mostly via symbols.

When a guy ask a girl out he does not expect to get a quick responds and this act of suspense brings out the beauty plus the excitement to the love episode.

A unique symbol known as Beads are very vital to this culture. When they are worn they indicates a lot of connotation. The beads are of various colours and mostly worn by the girls on their waist. Each colour such as red, blue, green, yellow, black, orange, pink, gold, and so on carries a message.

Messages like

• I am thinking of you.
• I like to know you more.
• Yes to what you said to me the other day.
• Sorry it is a no.
• Will you marry me?
• Give me time.
• I like you.
• Let's be friends.

When a girl wears a peculiar colour to a guy’s house who must have asked her out or the one she fancies, a word does not need to be uttered but the beads on her waist says it all.

Generally, love is universal and beautiful that is the bottom line, irrespective of it cultural background. Even while so, its social and spiritual value to each group of individuals should be respected.