Kinship, cultural preference and immigration: Consanguineous marriage among British Pakistanis

This article offers an analysis and interpretation of a high rate of marria ge co relatives, especially First cousins, in a sample of second-generation British Pakistanis. It argues that the high rate of such marriage is not a simple reflection of a cultural preference. A better explanation requires an analysis of the factors that influence the decisions and choices of the marriage arrangers in the particular context of Pakistani migration to Brit ain. The article also underlines the inadequacy of a blanket category 'Paki stani' in relation to marriage patterns and choices. Variation according to region of origin, caste, socio-economic status, and upbringing must ic bro ught into focus to reveal the processes that have generated the pattern, an d to offer clues to its likely persistence.