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Cited by 646History of Emotions ResearchAnthropological Studies and InsightsCultural Differences and Values

A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Romantic Love

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Jankowiak, William R., Fischer, Edward F.·1992·Ethnology
DOI 10.2307/3773618
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Abstract

The anthropological study of romantic (or passionate) love is virtually nonexistent due to the widespread belief that romantic love is unique to Euro-American culture. This belief is by no means confined to anthropology. The historian Philippe Aries (1962), for example, argues that affection was of secondary importance to more utilitarian ambitions throughout much of European history. Lawrence Stone (1988:16) goes further, insisting that if romantic love ever existed outside of Europe, it only arose among the nonwestern nation-states' elite who had the time to cultivate an aesthetic appreciation for subjective experiences. Underlying these Eurocentric views is the assumption that modernization and the rise of individualism are directly linked to the appearance of romantic notions of love.

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Crossref · 10.2307/3773618

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25 of 25 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • These universal systems form a foundation on which the cultural and individual variants of love are built.

    “These universal systems form a foundation on which the cultural and individual variants of love are built (Gottschall and Nordlund 2006; Jankowiak and Fischer 1992).”

    From Natural Selection, Childrearing, and the Ethics of Marriage (and Divorce): Building a Case for the Neuroenhancement of Human Relationships (2012) · cites this paper as Jankowiak and Fischer 1992

  • Humans have a strong tendency to pair bond, with social monogamy observed across diverse cultures throughout history.

    “Although humans have remarkable flexibility in mating styles, from polygyny to serial monogamy, we have a strong tendency to pair bond, with social monogamy observed across diverse cultures throughout history [13].”

    From The Neurobiology of Love and Pair Bonding from Human and Animal Perspectives (2023) · cites this paper as [13]

  • Romantic love is present in almost all human societies, and despite differences in acceptance of polygamy and extra-marital sex across cultures, monogamy remains the dominant marriage type even in groups where polygamy is accepted.

    “Romantic love is present in almost all human societies, and despite differences in acceptance of polygamy and extra-marital sex across cultures, monogamy remains the dominant marriage type even in groups where polygamy is accepted [13,181,182].”

    From The Neurobiology of Love and Pair Bonding from Human and Animal Perspectives (2023) · cites this paper as [13]

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Authors
Jankowiak, W. R., & Fischer, E. F.
ORCID
Venue
Ethnology
Publisher
JSTOR
Published
1992-04
Volume
31
Issue
2
Pages
149
ISSN
0014-1828 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2307/3773618
OpenAlex
W2122698071
Cited by
646
References
25
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 43 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 144 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 36 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 13
FWCI
30.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Ethnology (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Scholarship - UNLV (University of Nevada Reno) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › History of Emotions Research
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Anthropological Studies and Insights
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Cultural Differences and Values
Keywords
romantic love, passionate love, cross-cultural comparison, Eurocentrism, modernization, individualism, history of emotions, Philippe Ariès, Lawrence Stone

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