An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis on Black Couples Who Experience Racism-Related Stress

Abstract: In the past, Black couples have not been studied within the context of their lived experiences as it relates to the ways systemic racism impacts relationship health. It has only been in the last decade that relationship scholars have begun to link racism-related stressors to relationship outcomes. Despite the growing literature, new studies rely on samples, theoretical models, and measures that predominantly represent White couples’ experiences. Moreover, it remains unclear how experiences with racism, found to lead to both vulnerable and resilient outcomes in?uence couples’ relationship processes from their own perspective. Therefore, the goal of the present study is to understand the lived experiences of Black couples who cope with racism-related stress using a phenomenological approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve Black heterosexual couples wherein at least one partner reported experiencing racism within the past six weeks. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze and code themes that emerged from interviews. Future directions for continued research and clinical implications are provided for professionals in the family sciences ?eld. keywords: Black couples, racism-related stress, interpretative phenomenological analysis