Compromise, Tension and Value Conflict in Intermarriage : The Case of North Africans and French

Abstract

Statistics show an increasing rate of intermarriage among Arab youth, particularly among young North Africans. in this area, studies are rare and usually descriptive. This study tends to reveal the true causes of the tensions, compromises and conflicts of values to predict the dangerousness on identity and the psychological state of children. the main axes of this recherchre are cultural components: the power in the relationship, decision making, the cultural dimension, the notion of freedom of the couple. transmission of language and religion and their implications. The sample consisted of 40 couples divided into two groups. It covers the north of France. The results show a clear influence of cultural differences on marital relationships. Compromises are temporary and cyclical. They quickly transformed into conflicts when children arrive. We strongly emphasize the danger of this marriage which facilitates the assimilation of children into French society and the loss of their identity and origin.