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The Marriage Process in Turkish Culture

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The Marriage Process In Turkish Culture

The United States is a country, founded on freedom, immersed with immigrants hoping to secure their independence and reconstruct their lives. The United States, unlike many other countries, is made up entirely of different cultures and ethnic groups. This country is home to many middle-eastern citizens, with a great majority of Turkish Americans. According to the Embassy of the United States, there are currently 500,000 Americans with “Turkic” descent (TMPFA). The existence of Turkish families in the country is a positive one as their talent, creativity and hard work strengthens our nation. The struggle of these people to adjust to American society can be demanding, but many Turkish people choose to carry on their family traditions. The aim of this paper is to analyze the partner selection, engagement process and wedding ceremonies of Turkish couples within the United States.

The partner selection in Turkish culture customarily requires acceptance by both families, along with incorporation of traditional gender roles and courtship. Family acceptance of the unmarried couples is of high importance to Turkish culture. It is expected that a prospective single marry within their social class and religion. Marriage within the same social class is necessary because of the separation seen in Turkey. Turkey is very unlike the United States in the sense that there is a very large social gap between the rich and poor, with a very small middle

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