EqualSoc

The occurrence of intermarriage between immigrants and the native-born is a strong indicator of the integration of foreigners in the area of private life as well as their assimilation into the host country overall. The project examines marriage patterns of immigrants and their descendants in Germany, the Netherlands, UK, France and Sweden using secondary data sources available in these countries. The main aim of the proposed project is to shed light on marriage patterns among various immigrant groups with a particular focus on the phenomenon of imported marriages, above all among Muslim immigrants and their descendants. Compared to mixed marriages, the practice of importing partners from the country of origin could be seen as the type of marital choice that indicates the highest degree of orientation towards the sending society and its culture, and is also bound to result in the integration problems for the offspring.
The effects of the two individual-level variables on the chances of importing a partner from the sending country will be examined in detail – (1) duration of residence in the host country or difference between the first and second generation and (2) the level of educational attainment. As regards the first factor the growth in the intermarriage rates between the first and the second generation has been mentioned by various authors, but the findings are inconclusive. As for the effect of education: better educated immigrants are more likely to marry outside their ethnic group. When it comes to selecting a spouse from abroad, education effect interacts with the gender: these are rather better educated men who are also less likely to import their partners from their or their parents’ countries of origin. These findings, not absolutely univocal, need corroboration with various data sources and for various countries.

Imported brides, imported grooms: Partner choice among immigrants in Europe