Intermarriage attitude among ethnic minority and majority groups in the Netherlands:the role of family relations and immigrant characteristics

Ethnic distance refers to the extent to which people wish to avoid contact with members of ethnic out-groups (Bogardus, 1959). Kinship by mairiage is one of the most intimate relationships and, therefore, tbe domain of life with the highest distance between ethnic groups in society. Marriage is an inlimate and often long-term relationship and ethnic intermarriage indicates close interactions across etbnic group boundaries. Factors related to intermarriage have been studied intensively (e.g., Blau, Beeker, and Fitzpatrick, 1984; Kalmijn. 1998; Qian, 1997). Next to opportunities for contacts and third party restrictions, preferences and attitudes towards intermarriage play an important role (Kalmijn. 1998). In this study we study the attitude towards etbnic intermarriage among majority and minority groups in the Netherlands. We focus on tbe role of family relations and on immigrant cbaracteristics of different etbnic minority groups. [...