Ethnic Identity and Interracial Marital Dynamics

RM 215

Interracial marriage is defined as a union between people from different racial backgrounds. The current study examined the effects of ethnic identity on the interracial marital dynamics of satisfaction and conflict. We hypothesized that participants with a strong ethnic identity would report high satisfaction and low marital conflict unless they had experienced racial discrimination from their spouse. For those who reported high levels of spousal discrimination, strong ethnic affiliation was expected to associate negatively with relationship satisfaction and positively with conflict. Participants were recruited using a university research management system, social media sites (e.g., Facebook), and Craigslist.org. Participants first completed an online survey and then volunteered their contact information if they were willing to participate in a follow-up interview. Although the current talk will present quantitative findings, the focus is primarily on the interview data. The interview responses were analyzed using the constant comparative method. We examined group differences in marital quality for those had experienced discrimination from their spouse compared to those who had not experienced discrimination. Preliminary analyses demonstrated support for our hypotheses. Although we found that discrimination experienced within the relationship was detrimental for marital quality, discrimination experienced outside the relationship did not affect marital satisfaction or conflict and in some cases enhanced marital quality. One study limitation is that we assessed individuals rather than both couple members. Future research should include both partners and examine whether couples experience different outcomes based on their respective cultures