Marriage Preferences Research Articles

Family trajectories among immigrants and their descendants in three European countries: A multistate approach in comparative research

This study investigates partnership changes and childbearing among immigrants and their descendants in the UK, France, and Germany. Our analysis of longitudinal data shows, first, significant diversity in family trajectories among immigrants and their descendants in Europe. Immigrants from other European countries and their descendants tend to cohabit prior to marriage, and their fertility in unions is often similar to that of the native population. In contrast, South Asians and Turkish populations exhibit marriage-centred family behaviour with elevated third-birth rates. Individuals of sub-Saharan African or Caribbean origin display higher rates of non-marital family transitions. Second, we observe some changes in partnership and childbearing patterns across migrant generations; these are stronger for fertility than for partnership patterns. Third, migration background is particularly associated with partnership patterns, whereas the destination country context influences childbearing patterns. We expect some patterns to persist across future migrant generations (e.g. preference for marriage vs cohabitation), whereas others are likely to vanish (e.g. large families).

Immunophenotypic Evaluation of Circulating Monocyte Subsets in Beta Thalassemia Major Patients

Abstract Background β-thalassemia is a major public health problem in Egypt with particularly high incidence due to strong cultural preference for consanguineous marriages, and the high carrier rate. Iron overload, which is caused by increased gut iron absorption secondary to ineffective erythropoiesis, and regular blood transfusion is linked to accumulation within different organs with subsequent organ dysfunction. Monocytes are important lineages of innate immunity which activate the adaptive immune response and play a pivotal role in the host response to pathogens. Human blood monocyte subsets classification is based on the expression of CD14 and CD16 cell surface receptors. Aim of the Work To evaluate the circulating monocyte subsets in β-thalassemia major (β-TM) patients and its potential role in prediction of iron overload and chronic inflammation in β- thalassemia major patients. Patients and Methods A Case-Control study conducted on 40 previously diagnosed beta thalassemia major patients attending the outpatient clinic of Ain Shams University Pediatric Hospital, and 20 age and sex matched healthy control subjects. CBC, iron profile, CRP and immunophenotyping for monocyte subsets classification were done. Results Non classical monocytes were found statistically significantly higher in thalassemic patients especially in those with serum ferritin level < 1000 ng/ml (P value < 0.01). In addition, classical monocytes were found to be statistically significantly lower among the patients’ group (P value < 0.01). A negative correlation was found between intermediate monocytes and Transferrin saturation percent (TS%) suggesting its protective role in iron overload thalassemia patients. By using ROC curve, non- classical monocytes predicted ferritin < 1000 ng/ml at a cutoff point of 17.8 % and 0.05 x 10∧9/L for relative and absolute counts respectively. Conclusion All monocyte subsets proposed to have role in predicting iron overload and chronic inflammation β-TM patients. We recommend further studies on β-TM patients with the engagement of activity assays of monocyte subsets to clarify the co-regulatory role in iron hemostasis and chronic inflammation.

Marriage Age Preference, Desire to Have Children, Children’s Value, and Family Readiness among Undergraduate Students of IPB University

Family readiness is a way to measure a person's level of readiness to build a family and have children. This study aimed to analyze the influence of age preferences for marriage, desire to have children, and children's values ​​on family readiness among IPB students. This study was attended by 206 respondents, aged 19-24 years, who were unmarried. Data were collected online using purposive sampling. The results showed that marriage age preference ranged from to 24-25 years, most of the samples stated their strong desire to have children, and the children’s value and family readiness were in the moderate category. The correlation test showed that marriage age preference had a significant negative relationship with family readiness, while children’s values and desire to have children had a significant positive relationship with family readiness. The PLS test results show that children's values have a significant positive effect on family readiness. The higher the value of the benefits of children owned by a person, the higher their readiness to start a family. This study suggests that it is important for young adults to build positive communication with their parents to increase positive values ​​ for children and families.

Cross-cousin marriage among Tsimane forager–horticulturalists during demographic transition and market integration

Abstract Although still prevalent in many human societies, the practice of cousin marriage has precipitously declined in populations undergoing rapid demographic and socioeconomic change. However, it is still unclear whether changes in the structure of the marriage pool or changes in the fitness-relevant consequences of cousin marriage more strongly influence the frequency of cousin marriage. Here, we use genealogical data collected by the Tsimane Health and Life History Project to show that there is a small but measurable decline in the frequency of first cross-cousin marriage since the mid-twentieth century. Such changes are linked to concomitant changes in the pool of potential spouses in recent decades. We find only very modest differences in fitness-relevant demographic measures between first cousin and non-cousin marriages. These differences have been diminishing as the Tsimane have become more market integrated. The factors that influence preferences for cousin marriage appear to be less prevalent now than in the past, but cultural inertia might slow the pace of change in marriage norms. Overall, our findings suggest that cultural changes in marriage practices reflect underlying societal changes that shape the pool of potential spouses.

Increased homozygosity due to endogamy results in fitness consequences in a human population.

Recessive alleles have been shown to directly affect both human Mendelian disease phenotypes and complex traits. Pedigree studies also suggest that consanguinity results in increased childhood mortality and adverse health phenotypes, presumably through penetrance of recessive mutations. Here, we test whether the accumulation of homozygous, recessive alleles decreases reproductive success in a human population. We address this question among the Namibian Himba, an endogamous agro-pastoralist population, who until very recently practiced natural fertility. Using a sample of 681 individuals, we show that Himba exhibit elevated levels of "inbreeding," calculated as the fraction of the genome in runs of homozygosity (FROH). Many individuals contain multiple long segments of ROH in their genomes, indicating that their parents had high kinship coefficients. However, we do not find evidence that this is explained by first-cousin consanguinity, despite a reported social preference for cross-cousin marriages. Rather, we show that elevated haplotype sharing in the Himba is due to a bottleneck, likely in the past 60 generations. We test whether increased recessive mutation load results in observed fitness consequences by assessing the effect of FROH on completed fertility in a cohort of postreproductive women (n = 69). We find that higher FROH is significantly associated with lower fertility. Our data suggest a multilocus genetic effect on fitness driven by the expression of deleterious recessive alleles, especially those in long ROH. However, these effects are not the result of consanguinity but rather elevated background identity by descent.

Intersexual and Intrasexual Differences in Mate Selection Preferences Among Lesbian Women, Gay Men, and Bisexual Women and Men

Sex differences in mating strategies and partner preferences are well established. However, most research solely focused on heterosexual women and men. We examined the mate selection, marriage, and age preferences of a sample of lesbian women, gay men, and bisexual women and men (LGB) who took part in an online dating survey. Additionally, we analyzed inter- and intrasexual differences in these preferences. A total of 710 participants rated the importance of 82 mate selection criteria and 10 marriage criteria, and they also indicated their age preferences and short-term and long-term relationship orientation. An exploratory factor analysis suggested 11 relevant domains of mate selection in the LGB sample, with sex, age, and long-term relationship orientation being relevant predictors of differences in these domains. We compared the LGB data with data collected from 21,245 heterosexual women and men on the same mate selection criteria. Results showed that the participants’ sex was the most important predictor of differences in mate selection and marriage preferences, while intrasexual variables (sexual orientation and relationship orientation) explained only a small part of the variance. We incorporated the results into the current discussion about partner preferences and sexual orientation.

Effect of Women’s View Toward Their Rights on Receiving Better Antenatal Care in Bangladesh

Background: In a country, the view prospective mothers carry throughout their lifetime can be resembled in their children’s lives too and can proclaim plenty of the country’s problems, especially in receiving improved antenatal care (ANC). A woman’s view of her husband beating her and her preferred marriage age tells a lot about a country’s view. However, limited research has focused on understanding women's perspectives on their rights and it’s relation with ANC quality in Bangladesh. The findings of this study will contribute to a deeper understanding of women's perspectives on their rights and the barriers they face in accessing quality ANC.
 Objective: This study aims to investigate the view of Bangladeshi women toward their own rights and the impact on their access to improved ANC.
 Method: To address this gap, a binary logistic regression model was employed by analyzing in IBM SPSS Statistics 25 using Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2017-18 data.
 Result: It was spotted that a small percentage (6.6%) of women in Bangladesh were under proper ANC coverage. The women who didn’t justify domestic violence were 1.231 times more likely to be under ANC coverage in Bangladesh than those who justified domestic violence in the adjusted model. Moreover, women with no education were .048 times less likely to be under ANC coverage than women with higher education. Women who were not exposed to media were .099 times less likely to be under ANC coverage than those who were exposed to media. Unfortunately, almost one-fifth of all Bangladeshi women (19.6%) justified being beaten by their husbands. 
 Conclusion: Women’s entitlements enable them to actively engage in their own healthcare programs, leading to improved health outcomes for both mother and child. Through targeted awareness, Bangladesh can create an environment where women are aware of their rights and have access to quality ANC services. By ensuring their rights are respected, a society that values reproductive health and the well-being of women and children can strive.

Superstitions, Belief System and Marriage Preferences of Women in Islamabad

It is believed that today’s civilizations are less superstitious than the primitive ones. However, there are still some parts of the world where it is believed that superstitions play important role in decision making. Particularly, it is believed that women are more superstitious than men. This study is based on the empirical data. Convenient sampling technique was used to know the 101 respondents’ responses on the superstitions and marital choices. A questionnaire was developed in order to know the people understanding. The data was analyzed by applying statistical tools and Chi-square. This study revealed that there were respondents who believed on superstitions, particularly women. Majority of the respondents agreed that lack of awareness; illiteracy and old customs are the main reasons of superstitions among women. Majority of the respondents do not have such beliefs. Slowly and gradually, situation is becoming modernized and superstitious beliefs are replaced by rationality and wisdom. However, it is quite difficult to escape the culture of superstitions because there is always the thought that there might be something in it. Key Words: Superstitions, Illiteracy, Marriages, Women, Superstitious Beliefs

How to Protect Your Daughters from “Stranger Marriage”: Palestinian Families in Germany Betwixt Kinship Endogamy and Intercultural Exogamy

This article is about marriage stories collected from Palestinian Muslim families making a new life in Germany while seeking to retain their transnational ties and cultural roots. They belong to the Arab and Muslim diaspora whose disposition to integrate into the fabric of European society has been persistently questioned. Arab and Muslim immigrants and their offspring largely seem to prefer staying amongst themselves, taking spouses from their home countries rather than intermingling with the local population. However, faced with transnational exchange and intercultural crossover in much the same way, those who do intermarry and those who do not may have more in common than often suggested. Combining narrative inquiries with quantitative comparisons, three issues are addressed in this article: the impact of migration histories on marriage preferences and prerogatives, intergenerational dynamics of marriage stories unfolding at the family level, and shifting boundaries of “protection” and “strangeness” evolving in the course of change from below.

Avoiding Attention? Assessing the Reasons for Register Office Weddings in Victorian England and Wales

The option of getting married in a register office was introduced by the Marriage Act 1836, and over the course of Victoria’s reign over a million couples availed themselves of it. Yet surprisingly little is known about them. This article analyses information about 286 register office weddings celebrated between 1837 and 1901, with examples from 40 counties and 151 different registration districts. It shows that, while those marrying in a register office were drawn from across the social scale and of a median age broadly in line with the national average, brides and grooms from older age groups were overrepresented, reflecting the fact that a higher percentage of marriages in the register office were remarriages for one or both of the parties. Further analysis of their marital histories shows that earlier or subsequent weddings had often taken place in a church, indicating that marriage in a register office cannot be interpreted as evidence of an ideological preference for civil marriage. Some couples chose to marry in a register office because of a desire to keep the wedding private. Others did so because of practical considerations of location, cost, and speed, but these were dependent on the local context and were not static over time. As this indicates, in assessing the reasons for register office weddings, it is important to locate it in the context of an individual’s life history.

Parental Perspective Regarding Consanguineous Marriages as the Cause for Speech and Language Disorders in Pakistan

Background: Consanguineous connections are portrayed as connections between close relatives. These relationships are generally preferred in the majority of Asian and African nations particularly in the Muslim nations. Nonetheless, it is clear that these sorts of marriages have higher risk of congenital anomalies and disorders in children. Objective: To determine the parental perspective regarding consanguineous marriages as the cause for speech and language disorders in children. Methodology: The cross-sectional study was conducted through different hospital and centers in Lahore, Pakistan (Mayo Hospital, Services hospital, Autism Resource center and The University of Lahore Teaching hospital). Questionnaire will be used and compromised of questions. Data was collected through standardized questionnaire after taking the consent and was distributed among the consanguineous parents who have children with speech and language disorders. Parents were asked to complete the questionnaire. The data was collected using the online questionnaire as well. Results score was recorded for every respondent. Results: The study showed that majority of the people thought that consanguinity cannot lead to speech and language disorders in children. Conclusion: According to my research, although there is higher frequency of speech and language disorders recorded among consanguineous marriages than non-consanguineous marriages but majority of the people had a trend and preference for cousin marriages. Keywords: Consanguinity, Cousin Marriage, parental attitude, speech problems, language disorders, perception, Pakistan

Temporary Adjustment or Normative Change? Fertility and Marriage Preferences of Syrian Refugees in Turkey in the Context of Forced Migration

Turkey has the highest number of refugees in the world and is currently home to 3.7 million Syrians who had to flee from their country due to the conflict that started in 2011. This paper aims to focus on the fertility and marriage preferences of Syrian refugees by using a widely used qualitative research method Focus Group Discussions. The main findings revealed that socio-demographic indicators, the departure and arrival conditions in home and host country and the current place of residence had affected how families and individuals adjusted themselves and how they changed their fertility and marriage plans since their arrival in Turkey. Yet, the main findings also showed that while forced migration caused normative changes on some, some others reacted and saw these changes just as a temporary adjustment.

Long Runs of Homozygosity Are Correlated with Marriage Preferences across Global Population Samples.

Children of consanguineous unions carry long runs of homozygosity (ROH) in their genomes, due to their parents' recent shared ancestry. This increases the burden of recessive disease in populations with high levels of consanguinity and has been heavily studied in some groups. However, there has been little investigation of the broader effect of consanguinity on patterns of genetic variation on a global scale. This study, which collected published genetic data and information about marriage practice from 395 worldwide populations, shows that reported preference for cousin marriage has a detectable association with the distribution of long ROH in this sample, increasing the expected number of ROH longer than 10 cM by a factor of 2.2. Variation in marriage practice and consequent rates of consanguinity are therefore an important aspect of demographic history for the purposes of modeling human genetic variation. However, reported marriage practices explain a relatively small proportion of the variation in ROH distribution, and consequently, population genetic data are only partially informative about cultural preferences.

Globalization, Sharia law, and cultural hybridity: A case of marriage preferences of young Bangladeshis

This contribution is one of the few psychological studies analyzing the marriage preferences of Bangladeshi urban youths. Our goal was to demonstrate that the line between traditional and “modern” marriage is no longer clear-cut and document the importance of social status and religion in shaping the life priorities of young, educated Bangladeshis. The sample (N = 205) consisted of unmarried university undergraduates aged 19-26. Participants were presented with three marriage scenarios: a traditional marriage arrangement, a hybrid model based on mutual attraction and family support, and finally, a Western-style love marriage. Generally, the Western marriage arrangements were rated more positively than the other models. Surprisingly, there were no significant differences between preferences for a hybrid and a traditional model. Additionally, participants from a higher social milieu with lower levels of religiosity accepted love marriages more eagerly than middle-class students.

Marriage in the Time of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic

HIV/AIDS was the main cause of death among young adults in the 1990s. The sexual freedom from the rise of contraceptives and women's empowerment affected individuals' preferences for dating, marriage and fertility. In this paper, we investigate whether the HIV/AIDS epidemic from the 1980s onward, a non-monetary shock, affected people's preferences for marriage. We set out a simple two period non-cooperative model and demonstrate that under growing likelihood of meeting someone infected by AIDS, the expected payoff of people who got married in the first period increased. Then, using unique Brazilian data, we estimate the marriage gain in two different time spans, 1984 to 1991 and 1999 to 2010, respectively before and after the free distribution of antiretrovirals by the Brazilian government. Our findings corroborate that HIV/AIDS influenced marriages in the past, working as a response against the risk of being infected and increasing the marital surplus, especially for women. We also find evidence that the impact of HIV/AIDS on marriage disappeared once antiretroviral drugs were universally distributed, which significantly reduced the mortality risk of the disease, and therefore the expected costs of the disease. The perceived vulnerability to the consequences of HIV/AIDS decreased, resulting in a change in sexual behavior, thus reducing the value of monogamous relationships compared to the period without antiretroviral drugs (ARVs).

Exploring Transnational Marriages among Afghan Refugees in Quetta, Balochistan – Social Forces and Cultural Dynamics

Building on ethnographic fieldwork and qualitative techniques, this paper attempts to explore the mechanisms through which refugee populations maintain distinct identities through marriages as a cultural process. An examination of the cultural factors determining marriage choices among Afghan refugees in Quetta reveals how the Afghan diaspora maintains social links between the host and the home country. The cultural practices specific to Afghan refugees describe how cultural forces negotiate the demands of assimilation from the host country while maintaining distinct identities as a diaspora. These practices are framed in the debate about the place of refugees in studies on transnationalism. It comments on how social and cultural factors are equally important in determining the behavior of and towards refugees, contrasting the economic and political focus of most work done on the subject. The current study of Afghan refugees' marriage preference highlights the dynamic nature of notions about migration, imagined Diasporas, and continued connection to homeland even after generations of exile in the host country which is Pakistan.

Marriage and Fertility Preferences among Young Women in China: Changes over Time

China has undergone considerable social and economic change over recent decades and, more recently, has altered its fertility policies. Using data collected at several Chinese universities from 2015 through 2019, this study examines contextual factors associated with young women’s marriage and fertility preferences. The analyses demonstrate that, over recent years, young women express a significant preference for later ages at first marriage, fewer numbers of children, and a later age at first birth. Pronatalist attitudes and gender role attitudes are shown to have strong associations with marriage and fertility aspirations in recent years. Peer influence is associated with marriage preferences, while parental characteristics are shown to significantly influence fertility preferences. While individual traits such as school performance yield significant associations, such effects are not as strong as anticipated. The results are discussed within the developmental paradigm, with focus upon the potential influence of cultural globalization and changing Chinese gender roles.

An Ethnographic Assessment of Female Intra-Household Bargaining Power: A Case Study of Domestic Workers from India during a Pandemic

A greater participation of women in labour-force assists in increasing the overall household income while reducing overall levels of (income) poverty and increasing the household consumption of goods and services. A higher female-male labor participation rate has also shown to allow a greater agency for a woman and her intra-household bargaining power (and decision-making) at a household level. India’s context in this regard-with a highly fragmented labor market-presents a deeply worrying picture.This paper makes an attempt to study the material (income, accumulation of physical assets etc.) and the sociological (embedded in the social structure of households) aspects affecting the social position of women in their own household. Our analysis, through an ethnographic assessment of female intra-household bargaining power, makes an attempt to study the case of female domestic workers-seen to be part of India’s large informal and unsecured workforce- across the cities of Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Chandigarh (Punjab) and Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh). We try to understand the extent to which women (working as domestic workers) have a say in matters of consumption preference, fertility preference, their child’s education preference and their child’s marriage preference at an intra-household level.

Measuring gender attitudes using list experiments

We elicit adolescent girls’ attitudes towards intimate partner violence and child marriage using purposefully collected data from rural Bangladesh. Alongside direct survey questions, we conduct list experiments to elicit true preferences for intimate partner violence and marriage before age 18. Responses to direct survey questions suggest that very few adolescent girls in the study accept the practises of intimate partner violence and child marriage (5% and 2%). However, our list experiments reveal significantly higher support for both intimate partner violence and child marriage (at 30% and 24%). We further investigate how numerous variables relate to preferences for egalitarian gender norms in rural Bangladesh.

Palestinian American Women and Marital Choices Across Generations

Abstract This paper examines Palestinian women’s marriage preferences and the ways they incorporate national/cultural elements into their self-initiated marriage process in order to mitigate the reactions of their families and local community in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Marriage decisions among Palestinians in diaspora are a complex affair defined by notions of nationalism, kin relations, and religion, with their inherent gendered aspects. These notions reveal an array of actions and choices that testify to the ways in which women build strategies to deal with their realities and increase their agency. Their access to higher education, careers, and residences in multi-cultural locations allow them to redefine gender roles and control their marriage choices. Intermarriage outside their ethnic and national groups, increase in marriage age, and marriage processes that are self-initiated yet devised and presented in the form of customary marriage patterns emerge as visible phenomena among second-generation Palestinian Muslims. The decreasing number of suitable potential spouses drives a considerable number of Palestinian American women to look outside their national and ethnic group for marriage partners, thereby prioritizing their universal, religious identity as Muslims over Palestinian ethnic identity. This study uses oral interviews and community observation to examine how Palestinian Muslim women maintained some symbolic customary practices and challenged others by conceptualizing, utilizing, and modifying their group cultural and religious values in order to expand the boundaries of their gender roles and increase their power in negotiating marriage choices.