Union Formation and Partner Choice in a Transnational Context: The Case of Descendants of Turkish Immigrants in France

Abstract

This paper examines the transition to a first union of descendants of Turkish immigrants in France. We use data from the project The Integration of the European Second Generation, 2007, and apply event‐history techniques. We find that descendants of Turkish immigrants who grew up in France enter a first union earlier and more often in a direct marriage than do young adults without an immigrant background. We then describe the type of union in more detail and estimate the likelihood of a transnational partner choice, that is, between a young adult born in France of Turkish immigrant parentage and an immigrant from Turkey. We pay attention to social factors such as education, city of residence, and to cultural factors such as the rules of affinity in Turkey and the attachment to the norm of virginity at marriage as factors that orient partner choice. Finally, we discuss what anthropological methods could contribute to this research.

Partnership dynamics across generations of immigration in France: Structural vs. cultural factors

“…Empirical studies show that own level of completed education has more impact than the parents' level, especially for women (Bernardt et al 2007). The higher transition rates to a first union among women in the Turkish-origin group appear to be related mainly to a lower level of education among Turkish immigrants' descendants in France (Milewski and Hamel 2010). Thus, a convergence with the timing that prevails among the native population occurs as the level of education increases.…”

“…In these countries, marriage is almost universal and cohabitation is very rare. In North Africa and Turkey, young people stay with their parents until they get married (Milewski and Hamel 2010). In African societies, marriage is a key event that signals formal recognition of the union within the society.…”

“…For instance, young, second-generation Turks in the Netherlands declare that they would like to cohabit first and marry later (de Valk 2006). However, marriage without prior unmarried cohabitation is still the major type of union among second-generation Turks, especially for women (Milewski and Hamel 2010).…”

“…Moreover, women in Muslim societies have to guarantee the preservation of the family honor and reputation. In particular, pre-marital sex is -or was 2 -illegal, as it constitutes an offense to the family honor (Milewski and Hamel 2010;Collet and Santelli 2012). Women's sexuality is strictly controlled and families encourage early marriage, since it guarantees that a woman's reputation and responsibility for her are taken care of, and it also increases the chances of a better partner.…”

“…Communities are deeply involved in these decisions and the family has control over the choice of spouse (Thiriat 1998). Consanguineous marriages between cousins are preferred in these societies, in order to assure the continuation of the family line (Milewski and Hamel 2010;Collet and Santelli 2012). In non-European countries of origin, gender relations also differ significantly when compared to France.…”