My Parents Know Best: No Mating With Members From Other Ethnic Groups

Abstract

This study examined the opposition against out-group mating and the attitude towards parental influence on mate choice among 107 Dutch, 69 Moroccan, and 69 Turkish participants aged between 15 and 25. The level of preferred parental influence on mate choice was considerably higher among the Turks and Moroccans than among the Dutch, but females in both ethnic groups were less in favor of parental influence on mate choice than males were. Overall, males showed a higher opposition against interethnic dating than females did, and the Turks showed a higher level of opposition to interethnic mating than both the Moroccans and the Dutch. In addition, the effect of opposition against interethnic mating on preferred parental influence on mate choice was especially pronounced among the Turks, somewhat less so among the Moroccans, and least strong among the Dutch. Especially young males with a Turkish and Moroccan background seem to hold on to the values of the cultures they come from, and particularly Turkish immigrants seem keen on keeping the cohesion of their ethnic group intact by opposing interethnic dating, and by favoring parental influence on mate choice as a way to achieve this goal.

All in the family: Attitudes towards cousin marriages among young dutch people from various ethnic groups

“…The questionnaire was conducted in Dutch and was, as part of a larger survey, administered by Flycatcher, an independent research agency that conducts online survey collection in samples representative of the population in The Netherlands (other findings from this project have been reported by Buunk, 2015 andby Buunk, andDijkstra, 2017). Participants were rewarded for completing a questionnaire, by receiving a credit for an online store.…”

“…Consequently, the potential biological harm of mating with a cousin will not be as costly for men, which may make women more attuned to the potential disadvantages of cousin marriages. As described by Buunk (2015), the Turks and Moroccans constitute by far the largest immigrant groups in The Netherlands: 2.3% of the Dutch population has Turkish origins, and 2.1% have Moroccan origins. The immigration of Turkish and Moroccan workers began when in the late 1960s men from Turkey and Moroccan were hired as 'guest workers' in various industrial sectors.…”

“…The participants in the present research were the same as in the studies by Buunk (2015) and Buunk and Dijkstra (2017), and were young people in the age range from 15 to 25. This age range was chosen for a couple of reasons.…”

“…In choosing a mate for their children, parents tend to value particularly the characteristics that foster the status and homogeneity of the in-group, including the same religion, the same ethnic background, a good family background and a similar or higher social status (Apostolou, 2007;2010;Buunk, 2015;Buunk, Parks, & Dubbs, 2008;Dubbs & Buunk, 2010). Choosing a cousin as a mate may be a quite effective way of ensuring that the spouse comes from the ingroup, and that thus family and clan alliances are strengthened.…”

Preferred Parental Control of Mate Choice, Opposition to Out-Group Mating, and Ethnic Identification in Surinam

“…In line with this notion, Buunk, Pollet, and Dubbs (2012) found in the Oaxaca region of Mexico that, overall, opposition to out-group mating was a strong predictor of a positive attitude toward parental control on mate choice, and more so among men than among women. Buunk (2015) found the same effect among young people in the Netherlands, especially among those of Moroccan and Turkish descent (see also Buunk & Dijkstra, 2017).…”