Arranged Marriages in Western Europe: Media Representations and Social Reality

作者：Penn Roger^*

来源：Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 2011, 42(5): 637-+.

The paper examines arranged marriages in contemporary Western Europe, specifically within Britain, France and Germany. The paper reveals that two different types of marriage systems currently co-exist globally. These are "love" marriages in the west and "arranged" marriages in many parts of Asia and Africa. Both are associated with value systems that derogate the "Other" and regard themselves as "superior" and "normal." The paper explores how arranged marriages are currently demonised within the dominant western mass media. The paper also examines data collected from young adults in Britain, France and Germany from various ethnic/nationality backgrounds with a view to assessing the continuing practice of arranged marriages amongst children of international migrants. The paper shows that the media reflect the persistence of arranged marriages but simultaneously distort its significance.

• 出版日期2011-10