Family and social dynamics among European mixed couples

This article analyses some of the issues enabling us to understand European intra-marriage as a social phenomenon, by presenting some empirical findings resulting from 30 in-depth interviews carried out on couples in Lisbon. It begins by explaining how free movers may be seen as an emerging group of citizens within the European matrimonial market, in order subsequently to clarify how the expression European intra-marriage is useful for categorising this new type of mixed partnership. Some results relating to personal, social and marital aspects will then shed light on the dynamics of these European mixed unions. A final section suggests further lines of research that must be taken into consideration in future work in this field.