THE CASE METHOD IN THE STUDY OF WOMEN’S MARRIAGE MIGRATION IN KAZAKHSTAN: A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

The article examines marital migration in interethnic marriages of women from Kazakhstan through the lens of 15 cases as a method of a qualitative research strategy. The relevance of the study is determined by the growth of interethnic marital practices in the context of globalization, the expansion of migration mobility, as well as the strengthening of contacts between representatives of different nationalities in contemporary society.

The aim of the study is to identify the motivational factors influencing women’s entry into interethnic marriages, as well as to analyze their strategies of social and cultural adaptation in a new environment. The methodological framework is based on a multiple case study approach grounded in qualitative empirical data (biographical descriptions and life stories), which enables an in-depth exploration of individual life trajectories, social practices, and everyday experiences of women, with a purposive sampling principle applied to case selection and with consideration of research limitations related to a small sample size, subjectivity of interpretation, and limited generalizability of the findings. The empirical basis of the study consists of cases of interethnic marriages of Kazakhstani women with foreign citizens or representatives of other ethnic groups.

The findings suggest that the key factors motivating women to enter interethnic marriages include economic opportunities, aspirations for educational and social mobility, as well as personal and value-based orientations. At the level of the examined cases, it can be identified that the adaptation process is complex in nature and includes both integration strategies (language acquisition, adoption of norms and practices of the host society) and the preservation of elements of one’s cultural identity.

It is noted that the analyzed cases indicate that interethnic marriages influence not only women’s individual life strategies but also the transformation of family models, gender roles, and mechanisms of social integration in Kazakhstani society. At the same time, the study materials point to barriers related to cultural differences, language difficulties, and institutional constraints.