Interracial Couples' Experience of Leisure: A Social Network Approach

Abstract

There has been a significant amount of research that has indicated divergent patterns of leisure participation among African Americans and European Americans; however, there has been a paucity of research that addresses the leisure patterns of interracial couples and families. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the leisure patterns of interracial couples and families, specifically African American and European American couples. A qualitative design was employed to gather in-depth interview data from six couples. The findings indicated that the interracial couples felt socially isolated in various aspects of daily life, including work, family, and leisure. The primary cause of their social isolation was due to race and racism. The couples experienced low levels of comfort when participating in leisure within public spaces. There was not a distinct pattern of leisure activity among the couples; however, there was a distinct process the couples went through in selecting activities prior to participation in order to avoid negative social reactions.

KEYWORDS:

• interracial couples
• leisure
• social networks
• family
• racism