Racial Ambiguity and Relationship Formation in the United States: Theoretical and Practical Considerations

Abstract

This article explores in conceptual terms the nature of romantic relationship formation and maintenance when a potential or actual partner does not fit into the dominant racial schema -a situation we define as 'racial ambiguity.' When a potential other cannot be classified according to one's existing notions of racial organization, how does this ambiguity affect approach and maintenance? In the discussion, we first explore the concept of racial ambiguity as a function of the peculiar and distinctive American construction of race. Next, we examine conceptual perspectives that can be used to understand the role of racial classification and racial ambiguity in personal relationship formation and maintenance. And, finally, we discuss strategies for incorporating more fluid understandings of race into research on personal relationships. KEY WORDS: personal relationships • race • relationship formationRacial coding is a dominant feature of social interaction in American culture. Along with gender, knowledge of another's racial origins greatly influences the terms and manner of both the approach and content of our contacts. Moreover, as a social construction, race membership sets the parameters of our relationship to the larger social structure and relative Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

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