Excerpt of Literature Review

Lewis et. al (1997) hypothesized that racial factors were not as significant as nonracial factors such as similarities in socioeconomic status, social interests, personal evaluation or attractiveness, and entertainment interests in selecting potential partners. For instance, Lewis et. al (1997) discovered that 70% of respondents believed common interests and attractiveness of the other person, regardless of the race/ethnicity of the other person, were the most important factors in choosing a spouse, and that 53% of those people who stated that most of their dating involved people of a different race than them believed that the ease of the ability to talk to another person was important. In fact, Lewis et. al (1997) also found that for those individuals with a history of dating interracially, there was a higher emphasis on racial factors rather than nonracial factors. On the other hand, Juhari, Baharudin and Tan (2008) found that the highest rated factor for intermarriage couples in Sarawak was the desire to produce intelligent offsprings regardless of scientific evidence to support such statement. Meanwhile, love, personal attraction and common interest made up the non-racial motivation factors for intermarriage. Similarly, Ross (1988) and Bizman (1987) also argues that romantic love was the major motivating force for couples to marry despite cultural barriers due to racial difference. Evidently, most couples claimed that they marry for love. Notwithstanding, Carmen Luke and Allan Luke (1998) stipulate that on a closer inspection, they discover some unexpected predisposition and perceptions that people have about potential partners from other cultural background. For instance, Asian women stated they have greater preference for Anglo-Australian men because these men were perceived as less ‘traditional’ in the way they treat women, and seen as home-oriented through their participation in domestic and childcare help. Arguably, hint of racial elements of spouse...