Beyond Loving: Intimate Racework in Lesbian, Gay, and Straight Interracial Relationships

by Amy C. Steinbugler

Beyond Loving provides a critical examination of interracial intimacy in the beginning decades of the twenty-first century-an era rife with racial contradictions, where interracial relationships are increasingly seen as symbols of racial progress even as old stereotypes about illicit eroticism persist. Drawing on extensive qualitative research, Amy Steinbugler examines the racial dynamics of everyday life for lesbian, gay, and heterosexual Black/White couples. She disputes the notion that interracial partners are enlightened subjects who have somehow managed to "get beyond" race. Instead, for many partners, interracial intimacy represents not the end, but the beginning of a sustained process of negotiating racial differences. Her research reveals the ordinary challenges that partners frequently face and the myriad ways that race shapes their interactions with each other as well as with neighbors, family members, co-workers and strangers. Steinbugler analyzes the everyday
actions and strategies through which individuals maintain close relationships in a society with deeply-rooted racial inequalities-what she calls "racework." Beyond Loving reveals interracial intimacy as an ongoing process rather than a singular accomplishment. This analytic shift helps us reach a new understanding of how race "works"-not just in intimate spheres, but across all facets of contemporary social life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Race, LGBT

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Tom Burdge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant study of black-white, interracial, middle class, heterosexual and homosexual, cis relationships in the USA.

Rather than subscribing to a woefully wrong colour-blind ideology driven view that interracial relationships are "progress", the author soberly explores the lives experiences of interracial couples. It's not often a book gives me the perfect words to label some of my own, quite specific, experiences. The comparative between homosexual and heterosexual relationships provides great insight; whereas heterosexual couples experience hyper-visibility in public spaces, homosexual couples in the study more often experienced hyper-invisibility. A depressing, but not surprising, figure is that only 15% of white partners in the study (all in long term black-white relationships) were prompted to seriously examine race, white supremacy, and their own whiteness.

The only criticism I could make is the limited scope, but an author always has to restrict their research to some extent. Particularly the USA restriction made some areas not a perfect resource for myself. The author, when taking about how their studies scope didn't acknowledge that all their participants were cis, which is an oversight.

[Laura Goret · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anyone interested in the social power dynamics, emotional labor and racial factors in interracial white/bipoc relationships - not only romantic ones, but also in friendships and within families. Although US and black/white focused, the knowledge on interracial dynamics and narratives presented in this book, may hold relevance to all interracial contexts, but is particularly relevant to anyone white or bipoc involved with white lovers, partners, family or friends.

[Mills College Library]

306.766 S8199 2012