Crossing the Line: Interracial Couples in the South

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Description

Despite the increased number of interracial marriages in recent years, Black/White couples still experience a host of problems in American society, particularly in the South. Drawing on extensive interviews with 28 Black/White couples living in the South, this ethnographic study describes the issues and obstacles these couples have to face and documents their overwhelming sense of social isolation. The problems include hostility, encountered while the couple is in public, ranging from stares to outright attacks, as well as a lack of support and ostracization by their families. After discussing the nature of Black/White relationships and the historical implications of interracial couplesbeginning with slaverythe authors adopt a life history approach, which allows them to probe deeply into the meaning of the interviewees' responses.

Reviews

"This is a much needed contribution to the literature on race and social class. As more and more families become interracial families it is certain to become a hot topic in sociology. McNamara's book presents a unique contribution that is grounded in original research. It should find a place not only on the shelves of every self-respecting library, but also in the classroom."-John R. Fuller Professor of Sociology State University of West Georgia
Crossing the Line makes a valuable contribution to the literature on race and social issues.-The Journal of Intergroup Relations
If you have an interest in Black-White inter-racial couples, this is a book you should read.-Journal of Marriage and the Family
"If you have an interest in Black-White inter-racial couples, this is a book you should read."-Journal of Marriage and the Family
"Crossing the Line makes a valuable contribution to the literature on race and social issues."-The Journal of Intergroup Relations

Author Bio

ROBERT P. MCNAMARA is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Furman University, in Greenville, South Carolina. He has published numerous scholarly articles and several books, including The Times Square Hustler: Male Prostitution in New York City (Praeger, 1994), Social Gerontology: Selected Readings (edited with David E. Redburn, Auburn House, 1998), and Police and Policing: Second Edition (edited with Dennis J. Kenney, Praeger, 1999). MARIA TEMPENIS is currently pursuing her doctorate in Sociology at Vanderbilt University. She has published articles on race, religion and policing, the homeless, and urban redevelopment. BETH WALTON is currently in the Master of Social Work program at the University of Georgia. After obtaining her M.S.W. she plans to practice as a medical social worker.