Intermarriages: Factors, Characteristics and their Impact on Family and Society (Foreign Research Review)

Intermarriage is one of the striking examples of extreme diversity as a key characteristic of the modern world. The most common and the most actively studied form of intermarriage are interracial, interethnic and interfaith marriages, as evidenced by the situations in different countries, primarily those that are actively accepting migrants. Studying intermarriages requires a complex approach that primarily includes an understanding of their place and role in migration, socio-economic, demographic and socio-cultural processes both in each country individually and globally. Based on this premise the author focuses on foreign studies of intermarriages in countries that actively accept migrants, such as the United States, Canada, Australia and Western European countries. The narrative logic consists of systematizing the recurring themes and problems of this social phenomenon which are united by the goal of identifying and describing the features of intermarriages, often from the perspective of comparison with monogamous marriages. The review is divided into two parts. The first one briefly examines the conceptual basis of intermarriage studies which consists of theories united by the concept of exchange: the theory of social exchange, the theory of the marriage market and the transaction model — in sociology; theory of interdependence, investment model and theory of resource exchange — in social psychology. The second part focuses on three topics that most vividly reveal the features of any type of intermarriage. Firstly, the external factors determining physical and socio-cultural accessibility that create either opportunities or restrictions for mixed marriages are considered. Among the individual factors are age, gender, education, and socioeconomic status, religious, ethnic or racial affiliation which are considered both as personal qualities of participants in the marriage market and as exchanged resources. The review is concluded by analyzing how intermarriage influences the partners in marriage, as well as the communities to which the partners belong, and society as a whole. From the partners’ perspective the psychological and socio-psychological qualities that determine the stability of intra-family relations of mixed unions, conflicts and their resolution are considered. The long-term influence is determined through the place and role of children born in mixed marriages, as well as through the place and role of intermarriages in the mutual social integration of different groups in general.