Mixed couples in France. Statistical facts, definitions, and social reality

Abstract

Mixed couples are usually defined as combining national, cultural, racial or religious differences, but these definitions are generally elaborated only empirically. More recently, researchers have proposed the concept of “mixedness” which goes beyond those descriptive factors of difference. The French national Migration, Tradition and Citizenship Act also helps to show why it is not easy to reach a single definition.
A detailed look at statistical realities illustrates how complex it is to count mixed couples. The figures differ if we consider mixed marriages as flows (new marriages each year) or as stock (how many people live in a mixed family). They also vary depending on what differences —cultural belonging or nationality— are taken into account. Many French-foreign marriages bring together people who have the same cultural identities.
From the sociological point of view, mixed marriage should be defined as combining perceived differences and existing social order and norms. Studies on mixedness look at how socially constructed differences in contact, e.g. in private life, influence social relations and modify social realities. Mixed couples experience specific social constraints due to the migration situation of at least one of the partners, and therefore these couples need time to learn to manage the cultural and social differences in their relationship. Differences between the partners due to their cultural and social affiliations or gender roles are not equal and also influence the transcultural hybridisation process, sometimes even hindering it considerably.

Key words: mixedness; French-foreign marriages; cultural difference; gender roles; social constraints; migration policy; transcultural hybridisation; conjugal relations.