Synopses & Reviews
Despite the increased number of interracial marriages in recent years, Black/White couples still experience a host of problems in American society, particularly in the South. Drawing on extensive interviews with 28 Black/White couples living in the South, this ethnographic study describes the issues and obstacles these couples have to face and documents their overwhelming sense of social isolation. The problems include hostility, encountered while the couple is in public, ranging from stares to outright attacks, as well as a lack of support and ostracization by their families. After discussing the nature of Black/White relationships and the historical implications of interracial couples—beginning with slavery—the authors adopt a life history approach, which allows them to probe deeply into the meaning of the interviewees' responses.
Review
If you have an interest in Black-White inter-racial couples, this is a book you should read.Journal of Marriage and the Family
Review
This is a much needed contribution to the literature on race and social class. As more and more families become interracial families it is certain to become a hot topic in sociology. McNamara's book presents a unique contribution that is grounded in original research. It should find a place not only on the shelves of every self-respecting library, but also in the classroom.John R. Fuller Professor of Sociology State University of West Georgia
Synopsis
Describes and analyzes the problems experienced by Black/White interracial couples in American society, and particularly in the South.
About the Author
ROBERT P. MCNAMARA is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Furman University, in Greenville, South Carolina.MARIA TEMPENIS is currently pursuing her doctorate in Sociology at Vanderbilt University.BETH WALTON is currently in the Master of Social Work program at the University of Georgia.