Strengthening we-ness in working with intercultural couples.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24135/nzjc.v42i1.6Keywords:
intercultural couples, relationship, we-ness, Korean, grounded theoryAbstract
This article reports on a qualitative grounded theory study of how intercultural couples develop and nurture their relationships. Interviews were conducted with 33 individuals living in New Zealand who were part of heterosexual intercultural relationships where one person was Korean and the other was non-Korean. The findings indicated that intercultural couples work together to develop and nurture their relationships across three phases: (a) building a solid foundation, (b) striving for better relationships, and (c) embracing the relationship, culminating in a grounded theory referred to as strengthening we-ness. We argue that counsellors should understand the importance of strengthening we-ness when working with intercultural couples.
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