The Role of Social Identities in the Choice of a Spouse from Another Culture: A Cross-Regional Analysis

Abstract

The article presents the results of the study on the relations of ethnic, civic, religious and place identity with the attitude towards entering into an intercultural marriage. The study conducted in two multicultural Russian regions: the Moscow region and the Republic of Buryatia. The sample included the representatives of three groups: the Russians from the Moscow region (n = 189), the Russians (n = 111) and the Buryats (n = 102) from Buryatia. The attitude towards intercultural marriage had mean scores above average and did not have significant cross-cultural and cross-regional differences. However, differences in the importance of social identities and their impact on attitudes towards intercultural marriage were found. The Russians from Buryatia had more significant ethnic, civic, and religious identities than the Russians from the Moscow region (cross-regional differences). Both the Buryats and the Russians from Buryatia had more significant ethnic, religious and civic identities as compared to Russians living in the Moscow region. The results of structural equation modeling showed that there is a negative relationship between the ethnic identity of the Buryats and their attitude towards interethnic marriage. For Russians from both regions, place identity is positively associated with attitudes towards intercultural marriage. Civic identity predicted attitudes towards intercultural marriage in different ways: the Buryats had a positive relationship, while the Russians of the Moscow region had a negative one. It probably follows from the differing content of civic identity in these groups: for the Russians from the Moscow region, it is closely intertwined with ethnicity, while for the Buryats living in Buryatia, it is a “supra-ethnic” identity that connects them with all citizens of Russia of any ethnicity and religion.