Abstract
M.A.
The purpose of this study was to add, through the lens of social and crosscultural
psychology, to the much needed body of knowledge of African
intimate relationships. Western romantic relationships are generally
characterised by intense attraction and emotional attachment, idealisation of
the other, sexual attraction and the want for total acceptance by the other.
African love is less well known but seemingly tied up in culture bound
collectivism as well as other social phenomenon. The study set out to explore
the applicability of the lovestyle model in a Black South African population.
The study explored various theories of love which have been developed within
the Western canon. These include 1) evolution and love, 2) social exchange
theory, 3) attachment theory, 4) love stories and 5) Lee’s lovestyles. Special
emphasis was given to Lee’s colours of love theory which consists of a
typology of lovestyles namely eros (passionate love), ludus (game-playing
love), storge (friendship love), mania (obsessive love), pragma (practical love)
and agape (altruistic love). In addition African love was examined from various
perspectives including 1) culture; 2) individualism and collectivism; 3) the
African collectivistic society; 4) acculturation and; 5) African love.
This study’s main focus was on 1) the validity and reliability of the LAS
instrument when applied to an African population, 2) the lovestyles of this
group as mediated by their Africanness and 3) the possible gender
differences.
The lovestyles typology was found to be factorially valid for a Black South
African population. A key and surprising finding was that individuals high in
Africanness were significantly more likely to endorse eros as their dominant
lovestyle than individuals low in Africanness. The study found that African
men were significantly more agapic than African women and that African
women were significantly more erotic and manic than African men. Males who
were high in Africanness showed a significant association with eros andpragma in that the more Africanness a male had, the higher the endorsement
of eros or pragma was expected to be.