Personal and Structural Factors Influencing Peoples' Attitudes toward Interethnic Marriages: A Study in Nekemte Town, Eastern Wollega Zone
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Date
2011-05
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AAU
Abstract
Thi - du.dy was intended to explore and examine the personal and structural
facwi s that influence peoples' attitudes toward ethnic intermarriage. To this
em:, ,·elevant literature has been reviewed to shade light on the issue under
stud.,;. Intermarriage is said to have a significant lessening of 'social distance'
betv. , 'en groups and enabling unions between them. This study primarily
em})! .ys a quantitative research method, particularly survey questionnaire, in
oreie ,' to obtain the data needed for the study. Samples of 500 people are
s eleC1ed using a simple random sampling technique for this study. In addition
to tl :e . survey research, qualitative method (Case Study) has also been
emp l:'yed to substantiate the data obtained by quantitative method. Both
p ersl;.-wl and s tructural level factors have been examined in order to see their
impc(t on p eoples' attitudes toward interethnic marriage. Different statistical
mClr,·(Jds such as one-way ANOVA, t-test, correlation and regression have been
used to test the effects of the independent variables (the factors) on the
de 1)('.1' dent variable (attitude towards interethnic marriage). At personal level,
var iC' )les such as age, gender, educational level, religiosity and sameness of
pOleids' e thnicity have been tested. While individuals' age, level of religiosity,
educ:tional level and sameness of parents' ethnicity have significantly
in/ lu, :l1ced their attitudes toward ethnic intermarriage, there is no significant
gen de r diffe rence on attitudes toward ethnic intermarriage. Moreover,
s tn LC 1 'lm l level factors like heterogeneity/ homogeneity of the social
en v i /(} f'1 rnent, ethnic identity salience and an individual's social networks have
significantly influenced attitudes toward ethnic intermarriage. Finally, the Case
St, Lel !, cnalysis revealed that inter-ethnically married couples did not view their
man ; lye as something different from intra-ethnic marriages. Moreover,
aW L(' I ~ gh they face challenges from relatives and neighbors they indicated that
theLj iLcve resources to cope with the challenges.
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Keywords
interethnic marriage, ethnic identity salience, social distance, p rior interethnic contact