Intermarriage and Jewish identity: The implications for pluralism and assimilation in American society*

Farber, Bernard; Gordon, Lewis R.; Mayer, Albert

doi:10.1080/01419870.1979.9993264

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 4 publications

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“…The Anglo‐Irish, for example, have had the highest rate of exogamous marriage (12), whereas Jews, who have always had intense prohibitions against intermarriage, showed a rate of no more than 5 per cent between 1920 and 1960. By 1980, however, the rate for Jewish intermarriage had risen to 35 per cent (9, 13). Nevertheless, our own studies have indicated that Jews still have one of the lowest rates of intermarriage of all American ethnic groups (35).…”

Section: Factors Influencing Intermarriagementioning

confidence: 99%

Ethnic Intermarriage

McGoldrick

Preto

1984

Family Process

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Americans are marrying out of their ethnic groups at an ever-increasing rate, reflecting the expectation that people in this country will assimilate into what has been termed the "melting pot." We know, however, that not all ingredients in the pot have melted and that ethnic values and identification remain with us for generations. The difficulties inherent in intermarriage then become intensified by being unanticipated. We confuse the idea that we are all created equal with the belief that we are all the same. This paper presents a paradigm for understanding the family patterns and typical problems of intermarried couples, and offers suggestions for clinical intervention. We will present a framework for helping spouses to recognize, understand, and negotiate their differences. We are keenly aware of the perniciousness of negative stereotyping in our culture and in no way wish to contribute to that tendency. We wish instead to provide a map that, although covering only limited aspects of the terrain, may nevertheless provide a guide to explorers seeking a path to expand our clinical sensitivity and effectiveness. Ethnicity and MarriageThroughout our lives ethnicity is a powerful influence in determining our identity. By providing a sense of belonging and of historical continuity, it meets a basic psychological need. An ethnic group has been defined as "those who conceive of themselves as alike by virtue of their common ancestry, real or fictitious, and who are so regarded by others" (46). Ethnicity describes a sense of commonality transmitted over generations by the family and reinforced by the surrounding community. It is more than race, religion, or national and geographic origin (which is not to minimize the significance of race or the special problems of racism). It involves conscious and unconscious processes that fulfill a deep psychological need for identity and historical continuity (20). Ethnicity patterns our thinking, feeling, and behavior in both obvious and subtle ways. It plays a major role in determining what we eat, how we work, how we relax, how we celebrate holidays and rituals, and how we feel about life, death, and illness.Ethnicity interacts with the family life cycle at every stage. When conflicts about one's ethnic identity interact with life cycle transitions, the stresses inherent in all change are compounded. When we go through life cycle changes, we need our cultural identity most; it provides us with the rituals, the symbols, and the context of familiar meanings that cushion those changes for us. Any life cycle transition can trigger ethnic identity conflicts, since it brings families closer to the roots of their traditions. How the rituals of transition are celebrated can make an important difference in how well the family will adjust to the changes required by the transition (15)

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Section: Factors Influencing Intermarriagementioning

confidence: 99%

Ethnic Intermarriage

McGoldrick

Preto

1984

Family Process

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Accounting for jewish intermarriage: An assessment of national and community studies

Farber

Gordon

1982

Cont Jewry

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The demography of ethnic minorities

Coleman

1983

J. Biosoc. Sci.

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Cultural—‘ethnic’—differences within national populations have recently become the focus of considerable academic and political debate. This paper considers their demographic significance and reviews some facts and theories on the demography of minorities.It cannot present a comprehensive theory of the demography of ethnic minorities. Such a theory must be part of a more general analysis of cultural effects on demographic variables—which so far is lacking in demography. Neither can it review exhaustively the facts of minority demography; they are not collected or made available in sufficient detail from many countries with minority or multiple nationalities. The aims of the paper are accordingly less ambitious: to consider the political and academic import of minority demographic differences, formulate questions that might usefully be asked about them, and present a few examples in detail.

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Intermarriage and Jewish identity: The implications for pluralism and assimilation in American society*

Cited by 3 publications

References 4 publications

Ethnic Intermarriage

Ethnic Intermarriage

Accounting for jewish intermarriage: An assessment of national and community studies

The demography of ethnic minorities

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