Jewish identification in intermarriage: does a spouses religion matter?
Intermarriage, be it interethnic, interreligious, or interracial, is one of the classical processes proposed in sociological theories relating to situations in which social groups have opportunities for interaction within a relatively open environment. The frequency of intermarriage is a central test for the degree of cultural-spiritual integration within a given society. Intermarriage is furthermore a suitable context for evaluating the nature of changes in social structure and norms: It provides insight into changes in the significance of religious beliefs in shaping people’s lives, of the influences of secular attitudes, and of the degree of acceptance of religious uniqueness in the society, and of the readiness of individuals from the minority group to respond to the stimuli presented to them by contemporary modernity (Alba and Golden 1986; Alba 1990; Gordon 1964; Heer 1980; Lieberson and Waters 1988).
