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Religious endogamy and consanguinity in marriage patterns in Beirut, Lebanon

1986; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 33; Issue: 1-2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/19485565.1986.9988631

1948-5573

Myriam Klat, Adèle Khudr,

Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences

Abstract Marriage patterns are analyzed in a sample of 750 recently married couples from the city of Beirut. The data provide evidence for a notable religious endogamy (88 per cent of the marriages occur within the same religious community, whereas the expected proportion is 34 per cent), and isolation of Muslims and Christians, with some migration occurring inside each group. Consanguineous marriages are quite frequent within religious communities (26 per cent of all marriages), the most commonly encountered being first‐cousin marriages (63 per cent of all consanguineous marriages). Patrilateral parallel‐cousin marriage, long favored in the Middle East, no longer seems predominant in the recent generation. All four types of first‐cousin marriages are equally preferred. Finally, it is demonstrated that consanguinity correlates negatively with occupational status, educational level, and age at marriage. These social indicators must therefore be devised as independent variables when studying the effects of consanguinity on health parameters. In conclusion, the phenomenon of in‐group preference, whether in terms of religion or of family, is still prevalent in this recent urban generation, while some specific patterns of preference may be changing.