Inter-Religious Marriage and Migration

Maggie Bohm, Mississippi State University
Sang Lim Lee, Utah State University
Michael B. Toney, Utah State University

This study analyzes the influences of inter-religious marriage and the different levels of church attendance within couples on migration. We hypothesize that the propensity for migration is higher for inter-religious couples than for intra-religious couples and for couples who attend church at different frequencies. To examine the hypotheses, we used age, education, and length of residence as controls in logistic models. Theories that have been utilized in examining the effects of inter-group marriages, especially inter-racial marriages, on the behavior of couples provide theoretical guidance for the analysis. Largely, this research, as well as research on other differences between husbands and wives, indicates that inter-group couples have higher migration rates than intra-groups couples. The NLSY79 was used to analyze the relationships between these aspects of religious identities and migration and between church attendance and migration. The result showed slightly lower migration odds for inter-group couples than for intra-group couples.