The Effects of Intermarriages Versus Intramarriages on Intergroup Relationships Among Kurdish Tribes.

This study examined how intermarriages versus intramarriages between members of the Ertushi and Pinyanishi Kurdish tribes in Hakkari, Turkey, affect intragroup and intergroup relationships, focusing on evaluation, perceived similarity, social distance, and social contact. Findings indicate that intermarried individuals, who hold dual tribal identities, tend to evaluate both tribes positively and perceive them as similar to themselves, resulting in reduced social distance and increased quality and frequency of contact with the outgroup. In contrast, intramarried participants showed ingroup favoritism by rating their own tribe more positively and as more similar to themselves than the other tribe, maintaining greater social distance from the outgroup. The results support Social Identity Theory and the Crossed Categorisation Model by demonstrating that overlapping group memberships through intermarriage can foster more positive intergroup attitudes and interactions. The study's unique focus on real, psychologically significant tribal groups contributes to understanding intermarriage's complex role in intergroup relations, though its quasi-experimental design limits causal conclusions.