Analysis of Ethnically Mixed Marriages among Lezgians (Based on Guba-Khachmaz Materials)

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Analysis of Ethnically Mixed Marriages among Lezgians

(Based on Guba-Khachmaz Materials)

Murtuzayeva Zarina

Ph.D.,

Institute of Archeology, Ethnography and Anthropology (Baku, Azerbaijan)

Abstract

This article studies ethnically mixed marriages among the Lezgians living in the Guba-Khachmaz region of Azerbaijan. It aims to examine the challenges faced by Lezgians in relation to language, religion, consent of their parents and other details when they marry representatives of other nationalities. For this purpose, a face-to-face survey was conducted in the villages of the Guba- Khachmaz region, and the collected materials were analyzed. The survey was conducted among Lezgian women and men married to representatives of other nationalities. The vast majority of the respondents who took part in the survey had complete secondary education and were educated mainly in the Azerbaijani stream.

The analysis of the collected data showed that a very large number of Lezgian women and men married representatives of the Azerbaijani nation. Indicators of identical socioeconomic standing and common cultural values can be considered the main factors. Most people do not select their spouse randomly; rather, they do it in accordance with criteria based on resemblance (Girard, 1964). In addition, the collected data shows that both women and men prefer to marry Muslims. Considering that the majority of respondents were women, and most of them married Azerbaijanis, it is not surprising that 74.4 percent of women use only Azerbaijani as the main language of communication in the family. Additionally, an interesting fact is that most of the men and women married according to the traditions of their own nation. The data analysis revealed that the parents approved of their children starting families with non-Lezgians. The existence of ethnically mixed marriages in their families and surroundings was the cause of this. It should be mentioned that the ethnically mixed families of the Lezgian in the Guba-Khachmaz region have not been studied in the context of Azerbaijan. For this reason, it is necessary to conduct a deeper investigation of ethnically mixed families in this region.

Keywords: mixed families, lezgians, relationship, Guba- Khachmaz region, marriages

Анотація

Аналіз етнічно змішаних шлюбів серед лезгин (за Губа-Хачмазськими матеріалами)

Муртузаєва Заріна

Інститут археології, етнографії й антропології (Баку, Азербайджан)

У статті досліджуються етнічно змішані шлюби серед лезгин, що проживають у Губа-Хачмазькому районі Азербайджану. Вона має на меті вивчити проблеми, з якими стикаються лезгини щодо мови, релігії, згоди батьків та інших деталей, коли вони одружуються з представниками інших національностей. З цією метою в селах Губа-Хачмазького району було проведено фронтальне опитування та проаналізовано зібрані матеріали. Опитування проводилося серед лезгинських жінок і чоловіків, одружених з представниками інших національностей. Переважна більшість респондентів, які взяли участь в опитуванні, мали повну середню освіту і навчалися переважно в азербайджанському руслі.

Аналіз зібраних даних показав, що дуже велика кількість лезгинських жінок і чоловіків одружилися з представниками азербайджанської нації. Основними факторами можна вважати показники однакового соціально-економічного становища та спільні культурні цінності. Більшість людей не обирають чоловіка випадково; швидше, вони роблять це відповідно до критеріїв, заснованих на схожості (Girard, 1964). Крім того, зібрані дані показують, що і жінки, і чоловіки воліють одружуватися з мусульманами. Враховуючи, що більшість респондентів були жінки, і більшість з них одружилися з азербайджанцями, не дивно, що 74,4 відсотка жінок використовують тільки азербайджанську мову як основну мову спілкування в сім'ї. Крім того, цікавим фактом є те, що більшість чоловіків і жінок одружувалися за традиціями свого народу. Аналіз даних показав, що батьки схвалюють створення сімей своїх дітей з нелезгинцями. Причиною цього стало існування етнічно змішаних шлюбів у їхніх родинах та оточенні. Слід зазначити, що етнічно змішані родини лезгин Губа- Хачмазського району в контексті Азербайджану не досліджувалися. З цієї причини необхідно провести більш глибоке дослідження етнічно змішаних сімей у цьому регіоні.

Ключові слова: змішані сім'ї, лезгини, спорідненість,

Губа-Хачмазський регіон, шлюби

Introduction

ethnically mixed marriages lezgians

Ethnic mixed families are a means of integration into society. Inter-ethnic integration has common characteristics because of the interaction of ethnic groups that differ significantly from each other in terms of language and culture within a country (Aghayev, 2006). A significant increase in the number of inter-ethnic marriages means that cultural boundaries between two ethnic communities are erased and people no longer perceive each other as representatives of different ethnic groups'' (Susokolov, 1987). The formation of ethnically mixed families is critical in the process of altering the ethnic composition of the population.

The main disadvantage in blended families is cultural, religious and linguistic diversity. Ethnic mixed marriages lead to changes in the ethno-demographic structure of society. In such families, the cultural values belonging to both parties are mixed and serve as a tool in the process of convergence of cultures. Even though there is often territorial diversity, language, and religious diversity, such families existed with representatives of other nationalities. Most of the Lezgians living in Azerbaijan start families with Azerbaijanis.

Literature review

Many studies on mixed families state that ethnically mixed marriages create conditions for the decline of ethnic consciousness (Suleymanov, 2010). According to Barth (1969), intermarriage may significantly impact the borders and identity of ethnic minority groups since marriage is seen to be a means of passing down cultural traditions and beliefs to the next generation. Asanova (2007) distinguishes the problems faced by the ethnic family as social-domestic, social-psychological, fertility and planning problems, stability problems, family upbringing problems. In ethnically mixed families, it is important which of the husband and wife belongs to the ethnic majority, so that in such families, the powers of the husband and wife in determining the language of communication within the family, choosing the language of education of the children, and choosing the names of the children are not the same, and in such matters, the party belonging to the ethnic majority decides mainly (Kutyavina, & Malysheva, 2010). However, in the scientific literature, there are also those who state that the existence of ethnically mixed families is a very important process in terms of bringing the cultures of different peoples and nations closer to each other and valuing each other (Soliz, Cronan, Bergquist, Nuru, & Rittenour, 2017). As mentioned by Merton (1941), the large number of inter-ethnic marriages reduces the probability of violent conflicts between these social groups. The growth in the number and proportion of multi-ethnic marriages indicates the health of society (Topilin, 1995). In Azerbaijan, the mentioned topic has not become a special research object, and it can be said that there is a huge gap in this topic.

Methodology

In order to collect more information about ethnically mixed families, and at the same time to study the characteristics of such families, a face-to-face survey was conducted in the villages of Guba-Khachmaz region where mostly mixed families live. It should be noted that mixed families (mainly with Azerbaijanis) live in Khural, Suvacal, Yukhari Lagar, Balagusar, Badirgala, Lekargishlaq villages of Gusar region. It was also investigated where mixed families live in the villages of Gullar, Samur settlement and Shirvanli of Gusar region. In addition, Lezgians live in a mixed state with Azerbaijanis in Nabran, Tel villages, which are part of Nabran territorial unit of Khachmaz region, Gusarchay, Niyaz village, Magsudkend village, which are part of Susaygishlaq territorial unit. In the villages of Kurkun and Qeshresh in Guba region, Lezgians and Azerbaijanis live in a mixed state as well.

The small number of male respondents among the residents of the villages with mixed families selected for the survey suggests that in mixed marriages, mostly Lezgian women married non-Lezgian people. Lezgian women married Azerbaijanis and representatives of other Dagestani peoples, and men mainly married Russians when they migrated to Russia.

N=61 respondents participated in the survey conducted for the purpose of statistical analysis of mixed families. Surveys were conducted mainly in Samur settlement, Ghullar, Gileh-oba, Chipir villages of Gusar district, Yalama-Nabran, Orta-oba, Magsudkend and Yagub-oba villages of the Khachmaz region, where the most mixed families live. It should be noted that n=29 people out of n=61 who participated in the survey were residents of Magsudkand village. In total, n=18 people (29.6 %) of n=61 respondents were men, 43 people (70.4 %) were women (Chart 1).

Data Analysis and Discussion

As mentioned above, many respondents (47.6 %) were representatives of mixed families living in Magsudkend village. Only one person from each family was involved in the survey. Respondents participating in the survey were classified into five groups based on age groups (Table 1).

Table 1