ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the strongest indicator, namely whom migrants marry. Investigating the social integration of minorities in Western European receiving societies. It involves the examination of different intergroup relationships. Huschek's study provides some evidence for a higher probability of marrying a partner from the country of origin in countries that promote multiculturalism. The homophily mechanism predicts a preference for intermarriage because couples cherish shared attitudes and values. Moreover, intermarriage behaviour of migrants also explained in part by preferences for a spouse belonging to the same ethnic and religious origin. Moreover, the operationalization of homogeny poses a problem: due to the one-sided perspective of the data, which does not include data of the partner, we can only approximate the role of value homophily. Currently, two datasets such as TIES and Six Country Iimmgrant Integration Comparative Survey (SCIICS) allow us to compare intermarriages across countries.
