Socio-Psychological Determinants of Stability in Interethnic Marriages and Psychological Factors in Preparing Their Children for School

Abstract

The article examines the socio-psychological determinants that sustain the stability of interethnic marriages and analyses how these determinants shape the psychological readiness of children from such families for school. Using a theoretical-analytical design that integrates findings from family psychology, cross-cultural psychology and developmental psychology, the authors classify the determinants of marital stability into four levels: individual, dyadic, intergenerational and sociocultural. The analysis shows that the stability of an interethnic marriage depends less on the ethnic difference itself than on how the spouses manage it: intercultural competence, constructive communication, agreement on values and child-rearing goals, and acceptance by the extended family emerge as the key protective factors. A conceptual model is proposed in which marital stability influences the child’s school readiness through three mechanisms: emotional security, a coordinated language environment and an integrated ethnic identity. Practical recommendations are formulated for family counselling services, preschool educational organisations and school psychologists in Uzbekistan.