A View of Family Structures of Turkish Immigrant Community in Belgium Under the Light of Clinical Studies

Abstract

Turkish workers have immigrated to Belgium and other Western European countries, since the 1960s. They took along their own marriage and family institutions to these countries. The 1960s were also the period when European countries like Belgium and France started to question and redefine the marriage and family institutions under the influence of freedom and equality concepts. As of the 1970s, marriage has no longer been a prerequisite for establishing a family and having children. Besides, divorce by mutual consent was accepted at the same period. As a result, different family models covering post-divorce relationships and second marriages emerged. Through the legal arrangements done by France, Belgium and other European countries, well-accepted relations/family models were given an equal status with formal marriage and family institutions. Illegitimate children were regarded as equal to legitimate children. Later, gay relations and marriages were legally accepted while gay couples were granted a right to adopt a child and establish a family in different European countries. Thus, the marriage and family institutions of the Turkish immigrants had to be redefined in line with the civil law and the accepted relationship, marriage and family models of the country of immigration. According to the newly-emerged marriage practices among the Turkish immigrant population, new family models appeared. This article analyzes the marriage and family institutions of the first generation workers emigrated from Turkey to Belgium, the reforming process of these institutions as well as new family models under the guidance of clinical and field studies. 

Keywords

• Turkish Immigrant Community in Belgium,Family Models,Marriage,Divorce,German Turk Family,Single Parent Family,Partner Selection,Gay Marriage

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