Interracial Dating - Research Paper Example

This figure has increased sharply to 1,047k within a gap of 30 years and according to Casper, during the period of 2000, the total figure of interracial unmarried relationships was 165,000 (Casper, 2001). According to a research conducted by PEW, around 15% of all marriages occurring during the period of 2010 were interracial in nature (Wang, 2012). This research paper will examine the reasons that have encouraged people to enter relationships that are interracial in nature and it will even highlight factors that work as an obstacle in the creation of such relationships.

Body Factors Encouraging Interracial Relationships There are several factors that encourage development of interracial relationships; one of these factors is assimilation. Assimilation is a term used to define the act of increase in acceptance of groups and individuals who are considered as minorities within the societies that are considered as majorities. Assimilation has been recognized as one of the major reasons that have led to an increase in interracial relationships. Increase in assimilation has occurred because people living in US have started tolerating each other.

Increase in tolerance has helped individuals living in US to realize that other the minority groups of US can have different opinions and should be accepted in their society. Sassler asserts that marriages that take place between couples from two different races are the last event that takes place in the completion of assimilation of an individual who represents the minority (Sassler, 2005). He further asserts that as individuals migrate to US, they learn the norms and values of the society and gain acceptability among the majorities of US.

Heaton have pointed out to the theory of Status Exchange and its link with an individual’s level of education socioeconomic status as being major factors that have contributed to an elevation in the number of interracial relationships occurring in US (Heaton, 2003). The status exchange theory asserts that those representing groups that are lower in racial status get into a relationship or get married to those who are higher in racial status if they belong to a higher socio economic group of individuals (Judice, 2008, p.23). Wang asserts that in the region of US, the white population represents those who are higher in racial status and groups such as blacks and Asians represent the lower racial status group (Wang, 2007).

He further asserts that minority individuals who are higher in socio economic status have a higher probability of getting married interracially as compared to those minorities who score low on socio economic status. He further asserts that those individuals who enter into interracial marriages have accomplished higher level of education and socio economic status irrespective of their spouses’ race. Age even has played a major role as being a factor that encourages marriages that are interracial in nature.

The young generation is less biased as compared to the older generation and their attitudes have changed due to their social involvement. For example: students go to schools where people from various races study together, work as teams and even develop friendly relationships with each other. Schools are socializing agents that have heavily promoted the acceptance and tolerance of other races. Reither asserts that individuals who are experiencing their youth have an open mind and are more tolerant towards