Family, friends, society and interracial couples: Relational tensions of interracial couples

Past research has found interracial couples face several forms of discrimination and opposition from family members, friends, and society. This opposition has been found to lead to added stress and strain on couples in interracial relationships. This strain is likely to cause relational tensions unique to interracial relationships. The purpose of this study is to explore relational tensions unique to interracial couples and discover how couples mange these tensions. Thirteen couples who had been in an interracial relationship for over six months were interviewed. Relational dialectics was the theoretical framework used for the study. The data was analyzed by using contrapuntal analysis. Member checking was performed by interviewing five individuals who have previously been in an interracial relationship to see if the tensions found rang true to their experiences. The study found three tensions interracial couples face unique to their relationship and several ways they manage these tensions.