Family Matter(s): Marriages, Kinship, and Female Mobility

The nexus between marriage and mobility is the focus of this chapter that delves into the role couple-formation plays in the evolution of migration between Morocco and Italy. In particular, my analysis reconstructs the marriage system that has arisen over time between the two sides of the Mediterranean, examining in depth the role played by: (1) marriage in migration, as an opportunity for and route toward international mobility and a step in the process of familial settling-down; (2) kinship and personal networks in supporting the individual’s choice of a partner; and (3) women in promoting a shift in Moroccan movements by making possible familial settlement and the formation of spheres of reproduction abroad. In light of these elements, I discuss the distinction between marriage arranged and by choice, arguing that they represent options along a continuum of possibilities rather than a dichotomy, the meaning of which has to be considered in light of the broader family transnationalism they enact.