Interracial Marriages
Student’s name
Institutional Affiliation
Interracial Marriages
In the year 1961, marriage between black Americans and whites was uncommon. Less than three percent of the marriages in America were interracial by 1960 (Kent, 2010). The public mostly disapproved of these unions. The kind of marriage was even prohibited in over 15 American states. Black-white intermarriage has augmented rapidly since the American Supreme Court eradicated the legal prohibition on intermarriage (Daniel, G. R. 2003). However, there is an observed hindrance in these kinds of marriages. Various reasons such as education level make it difficult for Blacks to marry into white families and vice versa (Shapiro, Meschede & Osoro, 2013). Some assessments may be carried out to determine the level of acceptance in the interracially married families. The paper discusses how it is for Blacks to marry into white families and how the level of acceptance in each of these families may be measured.
How Is It for Blacks to Marry into a White Family
Recently attitudes towards interracial marriage and dating have changed, and the alteration is most apparent among young individuals. As the income and education gaps between ethnic and racial groups shortened, the social expanse between them also shortened (Qian & Lichter, 2011). A current survey discovered that young Americans between 18 and 29 have almost a general acceptance of interracial marriage and dating in their families (Kent, 2010). Moreover, black people are more probable than white people to be in interracial marriages. A possible reason for this trend may be the blacks’ interest to move up within the power structure, and intermarriage with the dominant group is among the means to achieve such (Anwar, 2011). Generally, marriages between whites and blacks overwhelmingly consist of a black man and a white wife.
Black females are the least probable group of females to marry, particularly outside their race (King & Bratter, 2007). Black women do not contemplate dating white men for various reasons, such as historical tensions and an absence of positive black woman representation within the media (Zebroski, 1999). Furthermore, other groups of men, apart from white men, have never subjugated black women. Consequently, this may be a whole history that makes the relationships between black females and white males the most different, the most daring, and ultimately minimal.
Moreover, more Americans are likely to marry into black families as they have individual experience with interracial marriage relationships involving their friends, families, or work colleagues (Anwar, 2011). The interaction reduces the social distance between the two races. Cultural resistance against relationships between blacks and whites contribute to the low percentage of intermarriages between them (King & Bratter, 2007).
Measuring the Level of Acceptance
Assimilation and integration measurements may be applied to measure acceptance in families involving a black and a white (Zebroski, 1999). Also, the divorce rates recorded from intermarried couples may be manipulated to predict acceptance. Socio–economic gradients and inequality measurements may show the acceptance levels exhibited by interracial marriages (Shapiro, Meschede & Osoro, 2013). A small disparity between the social-economic gradient and inequality in interracial and intra-racial marriages signifies enhanced acceptance of the interracial trends (Shapiro, Meschede & Osoro, 2013). The gradient and inequality factor is significant as it contributes significantly to people’s health by influencing factors such as diet, exercise, and stress levels.
Subsequently, these aspects influence people’s sense of self-worth, optimism and control, and social attachment. An evaluation showed satisfaction and happiness as significant well-being for people (Oishi, Diener & Lucas, 2009). In interracial marriages, this shows a high acceptance level.
Moreover, a measurement framework is necessary to facilitate a better approximation of the mix and quantum of resources typically available to interracially married families or communities. Consistent measurement of such resources over time may allow improved evaluation of the causal relationship to ensuing outcomes of interest among the families in interracial marriages. The outcomes can be in sectors such as education, health, justice, and community services (Zubrick, Williams, Silburn, & Vimpani, 2000). For instance, variations within the economic setting where communities are established will concurrently exert variations on the matrix of attachment, work, support, and care in which families and individuals, including the interracially married individuals, operate.
Therefore, in choosing family and social functioning measures, a causal alleyways structure may be effective for guiding verdicts concerning the comparative utility of these given indicators. Such a causal outline will mirror the ecological settings in which families live and take into account the wider economic, cultural, social, and political milieus (Zubrick, Williams, Silburn, & Vimpani, 2000). Positive results will indicate a significant level of acceptance for the interracially married families.
The study utilized an explanatory research design since the focus is on establishing the extent of intermarriage acceptance, which is influenced by many factors. The causal design is usually used to determine the effects of certain alterations on the existing norms and other processes. The study involved an analysis of secondary data from other studies. To assess the extent of acceptability, the research identified the perceptions, attitudes, and values of different people concerning intermarriages between whites and blacks.
The research participants were classified based on the following categories; gender, ethnicity, language, education level (primary, secondary and tertiary education), and age (Kalmijn & van Tubergen, 2010). Participants were grouped into white, black, and Hispanic based on race. According to age, they were grouped into over 65 years, 50 to 64 years, 30 to 49, and 18 to 29 years. Classification helps the researcher to obtain the perceptions of various people on intermarriage while in a specific group to avoid biasness. Also, young and highly educated individuals tend to appreciate interracial marriages compared to aged people of the same education level (Pew Research Centre, 2012). Besides, a questionnaire containing closed-ended questions relevant to the subject was administered to obtain adequate data. Some of the questions include; “Do you agree with the statement that it is all right for blacks and whites to date each other?” and “Would you be fine if a relative was married to a person of a different race?” (Pew Research Centre, 2012). The analysis of the responses helps determine the degree of acceptance of interracial marriages.
My results are based on the research I conducted on the white-black families. Randomized sampling was used to select five families to do the research, and in each, the results were almost similar. The reason for selecting families of blacks and whites was to enable me to learn more about interracial marriages. I chose families of differing ages to obtain varied results that are not concentrated in one age bracket (Brown, 2020). Online data, websites, and journal materials are some of the literature search materials I used for my research. The literature search is an inexpensive procedure for collecting info. The websites provided the fastest means, whereas the library literature search took me about six weeks. I used focus groups to get people’s attitudes and ideas regarding interracial marriages. Applying over one means of accessing information was necessary, as some methods do not provide an inclusive representation of the general population. Thus, several methods supplement one another.
In conclusion, various methods, including evaluation of the distribution of public resources among the interracial families and assimilation and integration levels, may be used to measure the acceptance levels. More whites are likely to marry into black families due to the prior experience with their families or friends married to other races. Cultural resistance inhibits interracial marriages.
References
Anwar, Y. (2011). In online dating, blacks more open to romancing whites than vice versa. Retrieved 18 June 2020, from https://news.berkeley.edu/2011/02/11/onlinedating/
Brown, G. (2020, May 30). 1. Trends and patterns in intermarriage. Retrieved June 25, 2020, from https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2017/05/18/1-trends-and-patterns-in-intermarriage/
Daniel, G. R. (2003). Multiracial Identity in Global Perspective. New faces in a changing America: Multiracial identity in the 21st century, 247.
Kalmijn, M., & van Tubergen, F. (2010). A comparative perspective on intermarriage: explaining differences among national-origin groups in the United States. Demography, 47(2), 459–479. https://doi.org/10.1353/dem.0.0103
Kent, M. (2010). Most Americans Marry Within Their Race – Population Reference Bureau. Retrieved 18 June 2020, from https://www.prb.org/usintermarriage/
King, R. B., & Bratter, J. L. (2007). A path toward interracial marriage: Women’s first partners and husbands across racial lines. The Sociological Quarterly, 48(2), 343-369.
Oishi, S., Diener, E., & Lucas, R. E. (2009). The optimum level of well-being: Can people be too happy?. In The science of well-being (pp. 175-200). Springer, Dordrecht.
Pew Research Centre. (2012). Social & Demographic Trends. Chapter 4: Public Attitudes on Intermarriage
Qian, Z., & Lichter, D. T. (2011). Changing patterns of interracial marriage in a multiracial society. Journal of Marriage and Family, 73(5), 1065-1084.
Shapiro, T., Meschede, T., & Osoro, S. (2013). The roots of the widening racial wealth gap: Explaining the black-white economic divide.
Zebroski, S. (1999). Black-White Intermarriages: The Racial and Gender Dynamics of Support and Opposition. Journal of Black Studies, 30(1), 123-132. Retrieved June 26, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/2645896
Zubrick, S., Williams, A., Silburn, S., & Vimpani, G. (2000). Indicators of Social and Family Functioning. Retrieved 18 June 2020, from https://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/indicators_of_social_and_family_functioning_full_report.pdf