Paper short abstract:

This small-scale research explores challenges women experience in intercultural marriage in Kazakhstan and their strategies to overcome these challenges. Different attitudes regarding gender roles, societal judgment, and lack of support from parents are discussed.

Paper long abstract:

Kazakhstan is a multiethnic country where thousands of interethnic marriages are registered every year (Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2021). Cultural differences and other challenges such as societal judgment and lack of parental support can often lead to additional difficulties and disagreements in marriage (Bell & Hastings, 2015; Bustamante et al., 2011; Skowroński et al., 2014). This small-scale research aims to study intercultural families' experiences and strategies used in marriage. The study was conducted using a qualitative method. Ten Kazakhstani women residing in Kazakhstan and married outside of their ethnicity participated in individual semi-structured interviews. The interview protocol included questions about gender roles differences, parental support of women's decision to marry outside of their ethnicity, perceptions of societal attitude towards the couples, and strategies used to address these challenges. The recorded interviews were later transcribed and analyzed. The findings revealed that Slavic women married to Kazakh men experienced more challenges related to the differences in gender roles, whereas Kazakh women married to Slavic-looking men tended to struggle more with societal judgment and gaining their parents' approval and support. Strategies used by the women to cope with gender roles differences included discussing expectations regarding gender roles in families before marriage, respecting the culture, family, and parents of their spouse, and paying equal attention to both cultures in the family. Women who struggled with societal judgment reported gaining confidence over time and paying less attention to other people’s opinions.

Bell, G. C., & Hastings, S. O. (2015). Exploring parental approval and disapproval for black and white interracial couples. Journal of Social Issues, 71(4), 755–771.

Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2021). Demographic Yearbook of Kazakhstan. www.stat.gov.kz .

Bustamante, R. M., Nelson, J. A., Henriksen, R. C., & Monakes, S. (2011). Intercultural couples: Сoping with culture-related stressors. The Family Journal, 19(2), 154–164.

Skowroński, D. P., Othman, A. B., Siang, D. T. W., Han, G. L. W., Yang, J. W. J., & Waszyńska, K. (2014). The outline of selected marital satisfaction factors in the intercultural couples based on the Westerner and non-Westerner relationships. Polish Psychological Bulletin, 45(3), 346–356. https://doi.org/10.2478/ppb-2014-0042