Family Influence on Partner Choice of Second Generation: What Are the Experiences of Turkish Origin Women in Switzerland?

Author(s) : Ceren Topgül

Source : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10021-0_3

Abstract:

Alternative partner choices of youth with a migratory background might be exogamy (out-group partners), local endogamy (co-ethnic partners living in the host country) and transnational endogamy (co-ethnic partners from the country of origin). In the literature, transnational marriages are often associated with strong family influence. Swiss TIES (The Integration of European Second Generation) Survey reveals that native-born youth of Turkish descent are rarely confronted with some family influence while choosing a partner, whatever the migratory status of the partner is. The issue concerns women almost exclusively.

In this paper, I analyse partner choices of Turkish origin women in Switzerland in order to explore whether families play a role in their partner choice processes, how and why families exert influence and how daughters perceive and react to such influence. In-depth interviews of Turkish origin women make it possible to explore, in greater detail, perceptions of family influence on partner choices as well as the coping strategies employed by young women. I find a variety of ways in which families influence partner choices and point out how young people negotiate their choices.