In a very similar vein, Student 8 based her rejection of cohabitation before marriage on religious grounds and said, “Where I live is independent of my religious views, the latter will always prevail.” In regards to housework, student 8 also said, “Housework should be done by women. Our religion suggests that this is the woman’s responsibility.” Theme 2: No Change Because of

Cultural and Social Values Some of the participants explained that the reason why they haven’t changed was mainly because they felt really strongly about the cultural and social values of their home country. For instance, while talking about gender expectations in dating, both Student 4 and Student 6 expressed strong feelings favoring traditional gender roles. More specifically, Student 4 mentioned, I expect MK-0457 supplier men to be chivalrous and gentlemanly, that’s what I grew up with and that is what

I believe to be true. Gestures like asking out, paying the bill, and picking up the girl from their home should always come from men. I could not change this culturally instilled GSK1120212 mouse value in me even if I wanted to. Similarly, when discussing economic responsibilities, Student 8 said that it is the responsibility of men to be the head of the selleck inhibitor household and to provide and that even though she plans on working, she sees this as a choice, whereas for men “it is a necessity.” In a similar vein, Student 2 reported, “Man needs to take care of the household; my money should go to my clothes and kids.” These traditional cultural norms were also prevalent in participants’ understanding of gender and housework. Student 7 said, “There is no need for the man, men are not skilled, and can’t really do any of the housework right anyways, so why bother?” The overpowering influence of cultural values was also evident in talking about

number of sex partners for some of the participants. For instance, Student 1 explained that in the Turkish culture, having Florfenicol more than one sex partner is indicative of lack of moral values and added that regardless of where she lives, she still carries this cultural piece with her. Similarly, on the topic of cheating, Student 7 said that she really is against the idea of cheating being so publicly discussed in the US. She then added, In my time in the US, I observed so many people cheating and sharing this with family and friends. To me, this is a topic that should not get discussed with outsiders. I simply can not understand people’s attitudes toward cheating here. Theme 3: Social Isolation Due to Language Barriers Another theme that emerged in this group of participants who reported ‘no change’ was that their romantic socialization with Americans was limited due to language barriers. To illustrate, Student 4 said, Living in the US has not really changed me because I do not have any American friends. I find it very tiring to communicate with others in English.