European Liaisons? A Study on European bi‐national Marriages in Belgium

Abstract

European bi-national marriages as a special case of interethnic unions have received relatively little attention in research. Existing studies on interethnic marriage mainly orient on union formation among non-western migrants and in particular intermarriages between the majority group and non-western migrants, which are often perceived as indicators for integration. European intermarriages can nonetheless be of similar interest from the perspective of European integration and identity formation. In this article, we first study the patterns and trends in bi-national European marriages in Belgium. Second, we analyse the diversity in bi-nationally married couples, and third, we pinpoint the characteristics of these European couples. We use the Belgian marriage register data from 1989 to 2010 as well as the census data from 2001. Our findings show that European bi-national marriages are still relatively limited in Belgium and that their numbers (and proportion) have remained constant over time over the past decade. There is nevertheless variety in the level of intermarriage among different nationality groups. Our analyses point to six different types of European bi-national marriages with different characteristics of the partners and their place of residence. Copyright

Ethnic differences in integration levels and return migration intentions

“…For example, a study by Bratsberg, Raaum, and Sørlie (2007) of immigrants in Norway showed that the probability of return migration is high during the first five years after arrival, but decreases quickly thereafter. One of the key indicators of integration is, however, whether an immigrant marries a member of the host country, as marriage is an important aspect of social integration (Alba and Nee 2003;Koelet and de Valk 2013;van Ham and Tammaru 2011). The integrative benefits of intermarriage include, for example, that the immigrant tends to learn the host country language and absorb the unwritten rules of the society more quickly, and that he or she is helped in establishing a position in the labour market (Dribe and Lundh 2008;Ellis, Wright, and Parks 2004;Kantarevic 2004;Meng and Meurs 2009).…”

Social networks and feelings of social loneliness after migration: The case of European migrants with a native partner in Belgium

“…Just under half (47%) of the foreign-born population has European citizenship, representing 7% of the total population, and their importance is still growing (Pelfrene, 2014). Sixty-four per cent of married or cohabiting European migrants in Belgium live with a native partner (Koelet and De Valk 2014). All in all a perfect case country for the study of European migrants.…”

Toward building a conceptual framework on intermarriage

“…Referring to the broader category of marriages between different social units, general terms such as “exogamy,” “heterogamy,” “intermarriage,” “cross-border marriage,” or “mixed marriage” are used. More specifically, depending on the nature of the contextual boundaries as mentioned above and listed in brackets in Figure 1, marriages across borders may be referred to as “international” (Jones and Shen, 2008; Piper, 1997), “binational” (Irastorza and DeVoretz, 2015; Koelet and de Valk, 2014), “transnational” (Charsley, 2012; Williams, 2012), “cross-national” (Baker, 1990; Cretser, 1999), “cross-border” (e.g. Constable, 2012; Lee, 2012; Wang and Chang, 2002), “intercultural” (Cools, 2006; Sharaievska et al., 2013), “cross-cultural” (Falicov, 1995), “interethnic” (Bizman, 1987; Burma, 1963; Furtado and Theodoropoulos, 2011; Lee et al., 1974), “interracial” (Barnett, 1963; Gevrek, 2014; Monahan, 1970), “interreligious” (Burchinal and Chancellor, 1963; Chancellor and Monahan, 1955), or “interfaith” (Cila and Lalonde, 2014).…”

“…'intercultural' in Psychology versus 'binational', 'international' or 'transnational' in Referring to the broader category of marriages between different social units, general terms such as 'exogamy', 'heterogamy', 'intermarriage', 'cross-border marriage' or 'mixed marriage' are used. More specifically, depending on the nature of the contextual boundaries as mentioned above and listed in brackets in Figure 1, marriages across borders may be referred to as 'international' (Jones and Shen, 2008;Piper, 1997), 'binational' (Irastorza and DeVoretz, 2015;Koelet and de Valk, 2014), 'transnational' (Charsley, 2012;Williams, 2012), 'cross-national' (Baker Cottrel, 1990;Cretser. 1999), 'cross-border' (e.g.…”