“We are all born and raised into a nation, a community and a family. And what we learn to value in these cultural environments stays with us for life. Even if we leave our family, community and our nation we never fully leave their cultures behind”.
(Yahya R. Kamalipour)
In today’s society, the Internet and its possibilities have had an increasing influence in our daily life. The world is going online and it seems that how we choose to life our lives is more related to opportunities offered by the online world than to the cultural values we are born in and raised with.
We shop, socialize, connect, communicate, work and even find our partners online. – What role does our culture play in this context?
In this thesis the author will demonstrate that culture influences online dating and determining factors for finding a partner online.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 STRUCTURE
1.1.1 DEMARCATION
1.1.2 PROCESS
2 CULTURAL FUNDAMENTALS
2.1 DEFINITION OF CULTURE
2.2 DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE
2.2.1 INDIVIDUALISM INDEX
2.3 CULTURAL INFLUENCE ON COMMUNICATION
2.4 CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE ON LOVE AND MARRIAGE
3 ONLINE DATING – AN OVERVIEW
3.1 DESCRIPTION/DESCRIPTION
3.2 TYPES OF ONLINE DATING
4 EMPIRICAL RESEARCH OF SELECTED ONLINE DATING MARKETS
4.1 METHODOLOGY
4.2 USA
4.2.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF AMERICAN CULTURE
4.2.2 DATING IN USA
4.2.3 EHARMONY
4.2.3.1 A profile on eharmony.com
4.2.3.2 Prices and Service
4.3 GERMANY
4.3.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF GERMAN CULTURE
4.3.2 DATING IN GERMANY
4.3.3 PARSHIP
4.3.3.1 A profile on parship.de
4.3.3.2 Prices and Service
4.4 INDIA
4.4.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIAN CULTURE
4.4.2 DATING IN INDIA
4.4.3 SHAADI
4.4.3.1 A profile on shaadi.com
4.4.3.2 Prices and Services
4.5 JAPAN
4.5.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JAPANESE CULTURE
4.5.2 DATING IN JAPAN
4.5.3 O-NET
4.5.3.1 A profile on onet.jp
4.5.3.2 Prices and Services
5 FINDINGS
5.1 SIMILARITIES
5.2 DIFFERENCES
6 CONCLUSION
Research Objectives & Topics
This thesis examines the influence of cultural values on the structure and content of online matchmaking services. The primary research goal is to demonstrate how cross-cultural differences in individualism, communication styles, and perceptions of love and marriage manifest in the design and profile requirements of dating websites in the United States, Germany, India, and Japan.
- Analysis of the Individualism-Collectivism cultural dimension in relation to partner selection.
- Comparison of high-context vs. low-context communication styles in online dating platforms.
- Empirical investigation of personality-matching algorithms across Western and Eastern markets.
- Exploration of how traditional marriage customs are integrated into digital matchmaking services.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 Description/Description
Online dating is one of the most controversial businesses that benefits from the Internet revolution. Reaching millions of people, the Internet has helped the online dating industry to prosper to a multibillion-dollar love story for e-commerce customers, whose needs were not properly met under traditional matchmaking methods. Morgan et al. define online dating as “the use of websites that provide a database of potential partners – typically in close geographical proximity – that one can browse and contact, generally for free. These Internet dating services facilitate connections that may eventually lead to face-to-face contact and in-person relationships.”
Online dating sites, unlike e-commerce sites, do not sell products, but a service. They create new market places, where available supply and demand equals, as registered users advertise themselves while they are also seeking for a partner. After joining an online dating website, users have to fill out a mandatory survey and create profiles of themselves. A dating profile provides demographic, socioeconomic, and physical information of a user (e.g. age, gender, education level, income, eye colour, hair colour, height, and weight) as well as his relationship preferences (e.g. long-term relationship or casual dating). The website provides a comprehensive database of user profiles, and, depending on the type of online dating (see also chapter 4.2), either a search screen for finding the right match by oneself or recommendations of potential partners. Normally, online dating sites use subscriptions as sales models.
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: Presents the research background, defines the scope of the study, and outlines the methodological approach to comparing online dating services across four diverse countries.
2 CULTURAL FUNDAMENTALS: Explores theoretical foundations of culture, including Hofstede’s dimensions, communication contexts, and cross-cultural perspectives on love and marriage.
3 ONLINE DATING – AN OVERVIEW: Provides a comprehensive definition of online dating, the industry's evolution, growth drivers, and a classification of dating service types.
4 EMPIRICAL RESEARCH OF SELECTED ONLINE DATING MARKETS: Offers a deep dive into the specific dating market characteristics, cultural backgrounds, and profile requirements for the USA, Germany, India, and Japan.
5 FINDINGS: Synthesizes the empirical research to identify global similarities in technical models and significant cultural differences in profile focus and values.
6 CONCLUSION: Summarizes the key findings, confirming that while the digital platform model is global, the underlying determinants of partner selection are deeply rooted in local cultural traditions.
Keywords
Online Dating, Matchmaking, Cross-cultural Comparison, Cultural Dimensions, Individualism, Collectivism, Hofstede, High Context Communication, Low Context Communication, Arranged Marriage, Relationship Marketing, eHarmony, PARSHIP, Shaadi, O-net
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on how national culture influences the design, content, and functioning of online matchmaking websites across four distinct countries.
Which countries are compared in this study?
The study provides a cross-cultural comparison of the United States, Germany, India, and Japan.
What is the primary research objective?
The objective is to prove that cultural values—specifically regarding individualism and marriage—shape the way users present themselves and what they look for in an online dating profile.
Which methodology is employed?
The author uses desk research of existing literature and trade journals, complemented by qualitative analysis of profile questionnaires from four specific dating websites.
What is covered in the main body?
The main body covers cultural theory, the evolution of the online dating industry, and detailed empirical snapshots of the selected countries, analyzing their specific dating portals.
Which keywords characterize this research?
Key terms include Online Dating, Matchmaking, Individualism vs. Collectivism, Cultural Dimensions, and Cross-cultural Communication.
How do Indian and Western dating profiles differ in their requirements?
Western profiles focus on personality traits and psychological compatibility, while Indian profiles prioritize socio-economic indicators, caste, and family status.
What role does "blood type" play in Japanese online dating?
In Japan, blood type is often considered a social lubricant and a core indicator of personality, leading dating sites like O-net to include it as a key profile parameter for partner matching.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Dana Lützow (Autor:in), 2011, Online Dating – A cross-cultural comparison of matchmaking websites in the United States of America, Germany, India, and Japan, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/207098
