"Russian guy and chechen girl": analysis of comments on internet publications about interfaith marriages

Abstract

Interfaith marriages are in the focus of attention of ethnologists and sociologists from various regions of the post-Soviet space. Their writings have repeatedly noted the special importance of mixed marriages as markers of tolerance. In addition, many researchers recognize the cultural and social significance of mixed marriages and continue to address them in the context of such problems as migration and the interaction of religions. However, such a side of the issue as the attitude to interethnic and interfaith marriages of Internet users remained without the attention of researchers, which emphasizes the relevance of the publication. The purpose of the article is to analyze the relationship to interfaith marriage of a Russian and a Chechen. The source base of the study was 726 comments to thematic articles on mixed marriages, published on Yandex Zen. The texts were analyzed using the breadth-first search method. Summing up the research, the author concludes that there is two options for the attitude of commentators to interfaith marriages. The first option is a negative attitude. The second option is a neutral-positive. Endogamous marriages remain a priority for a number of regions of Russia, primarily for the North Caucasus, with its traditional culture and the increasing influence of religion over the past decades. However, the study found that the religious is not the leading factor in the assessment of mixed marriages. Besides, when they describing their attitude to certain examples of such marriages, they appeal to other factors. For example, to the cultural differences of ethnic groups.