Marriage in MultiEthnic society, Netherlands Demographic Society Annual Conference, Het Trippenhuis,

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Marriage in Multi-Ethnic society, Netherlands
Demographic Society Annual Conference, Het
Trippenhuis, Amsterdam, 9 October 2003Partner
choice and the growth of ethnic minority
populations
D.A. Coleman Department of Social Policy and
Social Work, University of Oxford http//www.apsoc
.ox.ac.uk/oxpop
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Not much marriage please - were North Western
Europeans

• Marriage an odd choice for a 21st century
  conference, in the homeland of the Second
  Demographic Transition?
• But marriage alive and well and living in (most)
  European ethnic minority populations.
• Host / immigrant distinctions enshrined in
  Hajnals line apparent since 16th century,
  sharpened in 20th.

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Basic data on marriage contrasts

• Most Eastern European and non-European marriage
  universal and early.
  often arranged or consanguineous.
  cohabitation and extramarital births rare.
  households often complex.
• Most minorities in this group
• Traditional Western West of Hajnals line
  marriage late,
  often avoided, mostly not arranged. cohabitation
  and extra-marital births unusual. Households
  usually nuclear-based.
• Data on marriages / unions of ethnic minorities
  very uneven (e.g stock, not flow).

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How marriage affects growth of ethnic minority
populations

• 1. Migration in relation to marriage
  -Family reconstitution
  reestablish family
  -Family formation to create new family or even
  primarily for migration
• 2. Arranged/endogamous/consanguineous marriage
  vs. free partner choice
  Measures, determines assimilation or minority
  formation. Affects growth through - Fertility
  preferences of imported spouses - Creation
  of new mixed ethnic groups

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1.Migration in relation to marriage

• Fundamental reason for growth of foreign / ethnic
  minority populations in Europe post 1960s.
• Dependent / spouse migration continues to
  dominate migration streams to the West.
• Direct effect of numbers.
• Indirect effects of (often) high fertility and
  permanent community formation.
• Marriage migration replaces reconstitution
  migration from 1980s. May accelerate?

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Net immigration to EU15 1960 - 2001 (thousands)
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Components of immigration flows to Western Europe
(OECD 2003)
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Spouse migration to the UK 1973 - 2001 (thousands)
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Spouse migration as gross foreign inflow to UK
1975 - 2001 (two versions)
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Displacement of family re-constitution migration
by family formation migration UK 1982 - 1995
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Displacement of family re-unification migration
by family formation migration, Netherlands 1995,
2002
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Macro / micro factors affecting migration for
family formation

• Immigrant populations with prescriptive marriage
  patterns (race/caste/religion specific,
  consanguineous).
• New migration streams with similar prescriptive
  preferences.
• Weak or strong cultural change.
• Growth in size of appropriate age-group.
• Sending country pressures.
• Receiving country policies.

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Theoretical expectations in demography of ethnic
minorities

• Characteristics theory old fashioned FDT
  theory.
• Minority status theory. Two options -
  fundamentalist defensive structuring or
  accelerated transition for upward mobility.
• Cultural particularism - new(ish) model FDT
  theory.
• General assumption of acculturation.

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Theoretical disappointments

• Second generation marital choice may be same as /
  even more traditional than first generation
  (Belgian, Dutch Muslims).
• Not a consistent finding (e.g. Asians in US).
• This traditional behaviour may serve modern
  ends.
• Arranged marriage may co-exist with modernisation
  of other demographic areas.

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Growth of South Asian ethnic minority populations
of marriageable age, GB 1981-01.
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Modernisation of (some) demographic patterns 1.
TFR trends of ethnic minority populations, Great
Britain LFS own-child)
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Modernisation of (some) demographic patterns 2.
Age Specific Fertility Rates, Indian women, UK,
1965-2001
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Reversal of (other) demographic patterns 2. Age
Specific Fertility Rates, Black-African women,
UK, 1965-2001
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2. Partner choice and the rise of new mixed
ethnic groups.

• Assortative unions tend to preserve ethnic
  characteristics arranged marriages etc.
• More random partner choice can create new
  groups of mixed origin.
• Choice of ethnic identity / ethnic mobility.
• May increase or diminish group size.
• Intergenerational transmission of values
  important.

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Ethnic groups of mixed origin, England and Wales
2001
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Births of mixed origin by ethnic group of mother,
Great Britain 1992 - 2000 (LFS)
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Populations of mixed origin, England and Wales
2001
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Populations of mixed origin, England and Wales
2001
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Mixed populations by age compared with all
ethnic, numbers and percent.
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Population of mixed Caribbean origin compared
with all Caribbean origin (numbers and percent),
England and Wales 2001.
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Fertility of populations of mixed origin (all
combined)
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Policies on migration and marriage

• Policies differ on age, status, duration of
  residence, suitability of accommodation.
• Facilitation of inflows for re-unification and
  new unions (Canada 2002, UK 1997).
• Anxiety about arranged marriage in UK on social
  grounds.
• Age-restriction (24) on family re-union (Denmark
  2002).
• EU enlargement and asylum flows change basis of
  eligible population.

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Policies on migration for marriage some criteria

• Citizenship of principal.
• Possession of employment permit by principal.
• Minimum age of partners.
• Legally married or cohabiting.
• Suitable housing available.
• No charge on public funds.
• Duration of time after arrival of principal.
• Prior official approval for registration.
• Primary purpose test.
• Amsterdam Treaty 1999 and EU Directives

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Conclusions

• Marital behaviour of ethnic minorities
  -differs between groups,
  -often fails to conform
  to theory -not
  congruent with other demographic change.
• Union migration biggest open-ended migration
  channel, will define national ethnic composition.
• Trends in partner choice a major factor in future
  migration flows, and isolation / assimilation of
  ethnic populations.
• Inter-ethnic marriage may diminish or increase
  group size.

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