|
COPYRIGHT 2008 Journal of Comparative Family Studies
CARDELL K. JACOBSON, Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Utah, USA.
TIM B. HEATON, Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Utah, USA.
Comparative patterens of Interracial Marriage: Structural Opportunities, Third Party Factors, and Temporal Change in Immigrant Societies
Using census data, we compare patterns of interracial marriage in six different contexts where immigration has played a central role in population composition. We use Kalmijn's (1998) general theoretical perspective that emphasizes how opportunity structures and third-party factors affect inter-group marriage rates. More specifically, we hypothesize that rates of intermarriage are influenced by: (1) structural opportunities as reflected by the history of inequality, segregation, and racial oppression, (2) third-party interests such as cultural and linguistic differences, and (3) societal trends that reflect choices in the formation of intimate relationships and racial equality. We use age as a surrogate for the trends over time. We first estimate log-linear models to gauge the extent of overall homogamy and race specific homogamy in each cultural setting. We then use multinomial logistic regression to evaluate age differences. .Cross cultural differences in rates of intermarriage are substantial. Intermarriage is more common in societies where structural opportunities for contact are high and third-party interests low (Hawaii and New Zealand), almost non-existent among some groups in societies where the strong inter-group tensions remain. (Xinijiang Province, China and South Africa), and intermediate in societies with moderate degrees of opportunities and third-party interests (United States and Canada). Age is generally negatively associated with intermarriage, with some interesting exceptions. Interracial marriage in general is becoming more common in the arenas we examine.
ILENE HYMAN, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada.
SEPALI GURUGE, Faculty of Nursing, Ryerson University, Canada.
ROBIN MASON, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronoto, Cananda.
The Impact of Migration on Marital Relationships: A Study of Ethiopian Immigrants in Toronto
Little research has examined how migration affects marital relationships, or the processes by which immigrant couples adapt to their new circumstances. This...
Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.
|
Bookmark this article
Print this article
Link to this article
Email this article
Digg It!
Add to del.icio.us
RSS
