A Grounded Theory of Interracial Romantic Partner's Expectations for Support and Strain with Family Members

Interracial romantic partners (IRPs) are known to experience additional hardships in their relational functioning compared to same-race partners. This study explores the support processes that IRPs engage in with those who are often the source of external pressures on the romantic unit - family members. The study examines IRP's support expectations from family and how this shapes the support and resilience of the IRP over time. In-depth interviews were conducted with 32 IRPs and 30 parents of IRPs, resulting in a grounded theory of participant's support expectations and their violations and ensuing experiences of support and/or strain. Based on their support expectations, participants came across three support paths after initiating support-seeking disclosure strategies. Encounters with these support paths resulted in support and strain for IRPs and their parents. Taken together, the results contribute to theorizing about processes of support and their functionality in underrepresented relationships.