Journal of Electoral Studies

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Home Issues Backissues Volume 31, No.1 A Preliminary Analysis on the Impact of Marriage on Self-Identity

A Preliminary Analysis on the Impact of Marriage on Self-Identity

Kuang-Hui Chen
2011 / 11
Volume 18, No.2

pp.121-156
10.6612/tjes.2011.18.02.121-156
Paper

Abstract

Given that ethnicity and identity are the principal factors of political cleavage in Taiwan, this article explores the following questions: Whether individuals Taiwanese/Chinese identities are influenced by their spouses' ethnic background? If so, whose identities are more likely to be shaped by the intensive interactions between husbands and wives in a marriage? Answers to these questions are helpful to researchers who are interested in assessing the effect of political socialization experiences during adulthood. This article analyzes pooled survey data from Taiwan's Election and Democratization Study and the main findings are: (1) Ethnic background affects the respondents' self-identities. (2) Respondents tend to marry within their ethnic group. (3) Respondents' self-identities are influenced by their spouses' ethnic background. (4) Although females' self-identities are generally affected by their spouses' ethnicity, the best-educated females' self-identities are less likely to be changed after getting married. (5) The best-educated males' self-identities are more likely to be shifted after getting married than their female counterparts.

Keywords

political socialization

self-identity

marriage

spouse