Dyadic bicultural competence: A new way of conceptualizing patterns of cultural competence in close relationships

Abstract

In this review, we explore how bicultural competence, or the extent to which individuals effectively balance two cultures, can exist at a dyadic level, where two individuals' respective levels of cultural competence determine how effectively the dyad engages with their environment and collectively manages challenges associated with navigating two cultures. We review existing literature relevant to this concept, which we call dyadic bicultural competence, focusing on intimate partners. Research in this area is limited, and there have been mixed findings regarding how partners' cultural competencies relate to relationship functioning. We propose a model based on established models of relational strain and culture in family dynamics, explaining how dyadic bicultural competence can be associated with relationship trajectories. This proposed model provides a framework that explains mixed findings in this area and may be helpful in guiding future work exploring the role of cultural competence in individual and relational functioning for migrants.

Celebrating the “good‐enough families”: Family challenges and resilience during global adversity

“…Two papers did not focus on a specific type of adversity; however, one examined ways in which families could guard relational security when faced with adversities threatening attachment relationships (Ber astegui & Pitillas, 2024). The other paper examined how dyadic bicultural competence could be a resource for couples in the face of increasing transnational migration, an event that brings challenges to families embedded in two or more cultures (Hendershot & Johnson, 2024).…”

“…Ferreira et al (2024) identified how these communities proactively engaged in actions to deal with the aftermath of the fires, but also resorting to what was already meaningful to them as group, such as traditional celebrations and festivals and other community events where members could reconnect. Finally, this dynamic feature was implicit in the concept of dyadic bicultural competence developed by Hendershot and Johnson (2024) in the context of migrant couples, defined as the couples' collective facility in navigating both dominant and heritage cultural contexts. High dyadic bicultural competence, honoring both the old and the new in migrants' lives, potentially allows the couple to cope with a wider range of culturally based challenges.…”

“…Nowadays, resilience is agreed to be a multisystemic phenomenon nested in relationships (Ungar, 2021). In this issue, an interesting indicator of this relational conceptualization is the use of language that implies the systemic nature of constructs such as resilience or competence, namely family resilience (Ceberio, 2024;Ferreira et al, 2024), community resilience (Ferreira et al, 2024), attachment resilience (Ber astegui & Pitillas, 2024) and bicultural competence (Hendershot & Johnson, 2024).…”

“…Interestingly, amid the diversity, theories were a mutual compass that allowed for a shared understanding by authors and reviewers involved in this special issue (Relvas, 2023). In line with tends to happen with contemporary theories (Allen & Henderson, 2022), when thinking of global adversity authors used old theories to explain new phenomena (e.g., Boss, 2024;Ceberio, 2024;Medina Centeno, 2024;Vetere and Shimwell, 2024) and also expanded them by introducing changes that permitted to explain new realities in a more complex way (e.g., Ber astegui & Pitillas, 2024; Hendershot & Johnson, 2024;Pietromonaco & Overall, 2024). Yet, although theories were a common ground for colleagues from different backgrounds, the specifics of their application in the field (praxis) were the stage for some welcomed scholarly uproar.…”