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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
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Cultural differences in interethnic marriages - a case study in Aalborg

Author

Term

4. term

Publication year

2018

Submitted on

Abstract

Denne undersøgelse ser på et resultat af migration: interetniske ægteskaber. I Danmark møder muslimske minoriteter ofte et negativt debatklima. Projektets mål er at undersøge, hvordan dette afspejles i ægteskaber mellem danske statsborgere og muslimske indvandrere. Studiet er kvalitativt og bygger på interviews med to par bosat i Aalborg. Det er et casestudie med et replikationsdesign, dvs. at lignende tilfælde undersøges på samme måde for at kunne sammenligne. Analysen har to dele. Først undersøges syv hovedtemaer fra interviewene, med fokus på samspil og dynamik i ægteskabet, kulturel identitet og tilhørsforhold. Dernæst sættes interviewfundene i relation til tidligere kvantitativ forskning, som især peger på udfordringer og barrierer i interetniske ægteskaber; disse udfordringer opspores og diskuteres også i parrenes fortællinger. Formålet er at vurdere, om kulturelle forskelle spiller en central rolle i konflikter, og om der også er andre årsager til uenigheder. Da litteraturen ofte finder, at kulturelle forskelle skaber forhindringer, kan denne alternative metode give et andet billede.

This study looks at one outcome of migration: interethnic marriages. In Denmark, Muslim minorities often face a negative public debate. The aim is to explore how this climate is reflected in marriages between Danish nationals and Muslim immigrants. The research is qualitative and draws on interviews with two couples living in Aalborg. It is a case study using a replication design, meaning similar cases are examined in the same way to enable comparison. The analysis has two parts. First, it explores seven main themes from the interviews, focusing on marital interaction and dynamics, cultural identity, and belonging. Second, it relates the interview insights to earlier quantitative research that mainly highlights challenges and barriers in interethnic marriages; these challenges are also traced and discussed in the couples’ accounts. The goal is to assess whether cultural differences are a key source of tension and whether other reasons for conflict also matter. Because prior literature often finds that cultural differences create obstacles, this alternative method may yield a different picture.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]