The Effects of Intermarriages Versus Intramarriages on Intergroup Relationships Among Kurdish Tribes

Abstract

The present study investigated the effects of intermarriages versus intramarriages on intragroup and intergroup relationships in terms of evaluation, perceived similarity, social distance and social contact. For this purpose, data were collected from 200 members of the Ertushi and Pinyanishi Kurdish tribes living in Hakkari, Turkey who practiced intramarriage ( n = 108) or intermarriage ( n = 92). Results show that intermarried participants assessed both tribal identities not only positively but also similar to themselves, whereas intramarried participants assessed their tribe more positively and similar to themselves than the other tribe. Also, intermarried participants were significantly different from intramarried participants in terms of contact frequency with ingroup, contact frequency and quality with outgroup and social distance towards outgroup. These findings imply that social identity acquired through marriage affects one’s perception and attitude towards members of that identity positively, as well as reducing social distance and increasing contact frequency/quality with them.