The lived experience of discrimination by white women in committed interracial relationships with black men

M.A.Committed interracial relationships within the South African context have been associated with controversy as these relationships were once considered immoral and illegal. Since the abolishment of the anti-miscegenation and racial segregation laws, committed interracial relationships have slowly increased but are still fraught with difficulties. The experience of discrimination remains a prominent concern for individuals in committed interracial relationships. Black male-white female interracial relationships are considered the most stigmatised form of relationship, and these relationships are at risk of experiencing the severest forms of discrimination. Various studies have examined the phenomenon of interracial relationships, considering these relationships from theoretical perspectives that sought to explain the union between individuals of different races. In addition to seeking causal explanations for the manifestation of committed interracial relationships, perspectives from family members and society as a whole have been investigated. Studies that explore the subjective experiences of individuals in committed interracial relationships are scarce, and research of such a nature is especially limited within the South African context. South African research that seeks to give a voice to white women in committed interracial relationships with black men, and in particular their experience of discrimination, is currently unavailable. Therefore, this study aimed to elicit untainted first-person descriptions of the lived experience and the associated meaning of discrimination experienced by white women in interracial relationships with black men within the South African context. A descriptive phenomenological research paradigm and method were deemed appropriate for the exploration and depiction of the phenomenon. Three white females in committed interracial relationships with black males were sourced and interviewed for the purpose of this study. These women have been in committed relationships with their partners for more than two years, and disclosed the actual experience of discrimination as a result of their relationship. Open-ended interviews were conducted in order to elicit rich and in-depth descriptions of the participants’ lived experiences of discrimination as a result of being in committed interracial relationships. The interviews were transcribed verbatim with the inclusion of non-verbal cues where relevant. The data analysis was conducted using a phenomenological approach, which involved various steps that were followed sequentially. Salient themes that emerged from the individual participant’s interview were integrated to form a structure that communicated the essence of discrimination as experienced by the particular participant. Consequently, the common themes that surfaced transversely from all three participants’ interviews were synthesised and discussed in light of the current literature. The integration and discussion of the salient themes and related literature had the purpose to identify similarities and idiosyncrasies of the lived experience of discrimination by white women in committed interracial relationships with black men within the South African context. The results of this study suggest that the experience of discrimination by white women in committed interracial relationships with black men includes several core aspects. The themes describing the phenomenon may be understood within the following broad terms: discrimination is experienced in various contexts and from various people; discrimination is experienced either directly or indirectly by an individual in an interracial relationship; discrimination manifests in either negative or positive encounters; discrimination evokes various emotional responses and is dealt with in various ways; discrimination, although a personal experience, impacts on the interracial relationship in either a negative or positive manner. Discrimination is thus both an intrapersonal and an interpersonal phenomenon. The research findings are valuable in that existing literature is verified and new insights, with regards to the experience of discrimination by women in committed interracial relationships within the South African context, are provided. Based on the conclusions of this study, several suggestions have been made to encourage further research relating to this area of study