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The Commodification of International Marriages: Cross‐border Marriage Business in Taiwan and Viet Nam
Author(s) -
Wang Hongzen,
Chang Shuming
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
international migration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.681
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1468-2435
pISSN - 0020-7985
DOI - 10.1111/1468-2435.00224
Subject(s) - commodification , profit (economics) , market economy , context (archaeology) , economics , business , microeconomics , paleontology , biology
In this article, we attempt to place the issue of international marriage in an institutionalized profit‐oriented social context, which is described as “the commodification process”. The starting point included measuring the scale of the international marriage market in Taiwan. Socio‐demographic change in Taiwan and Viet Nam has created a market for profit‐pursuing marriage agents. Agents scattered in different social spheres have gradually linked to form a profitable industry. Two different industrial organization types have emerged in the matchmaking process to meet different market constraints. As the cross‐border marriage market matures, more and more people enter the market, and competitive price, good quality and delivery on time become the necessary conditions for success. In this competitive process, female migrant partners become increasingly commodified to conform to the new situation. They are required to accept reduced prices, to be “good enough” to marry and to be married when there is demand. The social networks of individuals are gradually transformed by agents in pursuit of profit.