A bioecological view of interracial/same-race couple conflict

• Autores: Theresa A. MacNeil, Kari Adamsons
• Localización: International Journal of Conflict Management, ISSN-e 1044-4068, Vol. 25, Nº. 3, 2014, págs. 243-260
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Purpose � The purpose if this study is to examine differences in conflict management strategies, relational satisfaction and social support of individuals in same-race and interracial relationships. Additionally, the authors examined associations between self-reported and observed measures of conflict management strategies.

    Design/methodology/approach � The current study used Bronfenbrenner�s (2005) bioecological theory as an organizing framework. Twenty individuals in interracial and same-race relationships were recruited from a large Northeastern US university. Self-report and observational measures of conflict management strategies were obtained as were individuals� self-reported levels of relational satisfaction and social support.

    Findings � Results indicated a few differences in conflict management strategies between individuals in same-race and interracial dyads and no differences in social support or satisfaction. Observational measures of conflict management were largely uncorrelated with their corresponding self-report measures.

    Research limitations/implications � The current sample was small and consisted of students from a predominately White region of the country; thus generalizability and statistical power are limited. However, the results suggest ways interracial and same-race dyads might manage conflict differently as well as how self-reported and observational methods might differ in terms of the results obtained.

    Originality/value � Interracial couple relationship processes are largely unexplored, but are important to study. The current findings further suggest that self-report and observational methods should be combined to more fully portray the conflict management strategies of individuals in interracial and same-race relationships.