Moore, Sharon (2015) 'I'm white, she's black, so what'? : telling stories of gender, race and interracial romance in Australia. Masters (Research) thesis, James Cook University.

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Abstract

Aboriginal Australian/white interracial couples are a rapidly growing segment of the population. This rise in the number of interracial relationships raises the question of why this trend is prevalent, and what impact it is having on Australian society. Although scholars and the media promote this growth in numbers of interracial relationships as a positive sign that past social and cultural divisions 'are dissipating', minimum research has given attention to the motivating forces behind these relationships, or the impact these relation-ships may have on the couples themselves. This study utilises individual and conjoint interviews with six interracial heterosexual couples to explore how they confront their racial identities, experience the public gaze, raise biracial children and negotiate racial, gen-der and class differences. Some families initially disapproved of their children marrying outside their race and their 'concerns' are traced to a history of race relations in Australia. The narratives of the research participants reveal a myriad of ways in which race shapes the interactions of partners with each other, as well as with family members, working associates and strangers. Nevertheless, despite keenly perceiving the racial attitudes of the community around them, the interracial couples interviewed tended to minimise or even discount the relevance of race in their own relationships.

Item ID:	42127
Item Type:	Thesis (Masters (Research))
Keywords:	Aboriginal Australians; couples; Indigenous Australians; inter-marriage; interracial; inter-racial; marriage; miscegenation; non-Aboriginal Australians; partners; relationships; White Australians
Date Deposited:	16 Dec 2015 06:56
FoR Codes:	20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2002 Cultural Studies > 200201 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Studies @ 33% 20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2002 Cultural Studies > 200209 Multicultural, Intercultural and Cross-cultural Studies @ 34% 16 STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY > 1699 Other Studies in Human Society > 169902 Studies of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Society @ 33%
SEO Codes:	94 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 9401 Community Service (excl. Work) > 940113 Gender and Sexualities @ 50% 94 LAW, POLITICS AND COMMUNITY SERVICES > 9401 Community Service (excl. Work) > 940106 Citizenship and National Identity @ 50%
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