ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the ways in which religious identity and national identity may serve as antecedents and/or consequences of individuals' role enactment, mediated by interdependence processes. One of the most curious aspects of Spickard's otherwise evidence-packed book on interethnic marriage and interethnic identity in the United States during the twentieth century is Spickard's decision to treat the content of the Old Testament as an historical account of Jewish persons' perseverance in maintaining their faith across multiple generations. The dynamic tension between social stability as articulated in role theory and social change as articulated in symbolic interactionism is epitomized by the evolving sociolegal landscape concerning international marriage. One shall apply the bidirectional model to international marriages in general, and to Russian-American marriages in particular. Thus, the literature on international marriage is not nearly as replete with examples of empirical research as is the literature on interracial marriage.
