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UBC Theses and Dissertations
Experiences of inter-"racial" married couples in a multicultural society Yee, Lili Anne
Abstract
This thesis offers a window into the lives of married inter-racial couples in the Lower Mainland area. I argue that the processes of racialization, that is, the process of the social construction of race, is reflected in the experiences of inter-racial couples. In addition, I argue that inter-racial relationships represent a test of the acceptance attitudes of a multicultural society. In a multicultural society that promotes itself as accepting other cultures into a Canadian "mosaic", an inter-racial marriage represents a model of inclusion. Two distinct cultures have joined and exist as one, thus reflecting the ideology of cultural pluralism. Compared with many other nation-states, Canada is widely distinguished for its "acceptance" of cultural differences and social equality as part of our collective vision (Fleras, 1989). Does this acceptance picture reflect reality for those individuals involved in an inter-racial marriage? I highlight two central issues in this thesis. The first issue explores the theoretical aspect of race as a social construction and the practices of this racialization process through the lives of inter-racial couples. The second issue examines the degree of acceptance, tolerance or intolerance toward inter-racial couples in a "multicultural" society. Using Vancouver as a geographical setting, I examine these two issues by interviewing Chinese-Canadian/European-Canadian married couples. I investigate, through their eyes, the process of racialization through analysis of their experiences, and how these experiences demonstrate commitment (or lack of commitment) to multiculturalism as an ideology and social reality. I present data from interviews with couples to understand 1) What are the experiences of an inter-racial couple living in a multicultural society? 2) How is race socially constructed in Vancouver in 1995? 3) Are the experiences of married Chinese-Canadian/European-Canadian couples reflective of a culturally pluralistic society? I draw from relevant literature on "race" and Multiculturalism in Canada, and from previous sociological studies on inter-racial relationships. I suggest that the experiences of inter-racial (Chinese/European) married couples will show the powerful impact of the processes of racialization and reflect the resistance and biases that result from a society which promotes acceptance and yet practices, at best, a form of tolerance. This suggests that surface appearances of cultural inclusion hide realities of non-acceptance and exclusionary practices. Although the subjects interviewed in this thesis do not represent all inter-racial couples, the thesis offers a Canadian perspective which complements existing literature in this area.
Item Metadata
Title |
Experiences of inter-"racial" married couples in a multicultural society
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
1996
|
Description |
This thesis offers a window into the lives of married inter-racial couples in the
Lower Mainland area. I argue that the processes of racialization, that is, the process of
the social construction of race, is reflected in the experiences of inter-racial couples. In
addition, I argue that inter-racial relationships represent a test of the acceptance attitudes
of a multicultural society. In a multicultural society that promotes itself as accepting
other cultures into a Canadian "mosaic", an inter-racial marriage represents a model of
inclusion. Two distinct cultures have joined and exist as one, thus reflecting the
ideology of cultural pluralism. Compared with many other nation-states, Canada is
widely distinguished for its "acceptance" of cultural differences and social equality as
part of our collective vision (Fleras, 1989). Does this acceptance picture reflect reality
for those individuals involved in an inter-racial marriage? I highlight two central issues in
this thesis. The first issue explores the theoretical aspect of race as a social construction
and the practices of this racialization process through the lives of inter-racial couples.
The second issue examines the degree of acceptance, tolerance or intolerance toward
inter-racial couples in a "multicultural" society.
Using Vancouver as a geographical setting, I examine these two issues by
interviewing Chinese-Canadian/European-Canadian married couples. I investigate,
through their eyes, the process of racialization through analysis of their experiences, and
how these experiences demonstrate commitment (or lack of commitment) to
multiculturalism as an ideology and social reality. I present data from interviews with
couples to understand 1) What are the experiences of an inter-racial couple living in a
multicultural society? 2) How is race socially constructed in Vancouver in 1995? 3) Are
the experiences of married Chinese-Canadian/European-Canadian couples reflective of a
culturally pluralistic society? I draw from relevant literature on "race" and
Multiculturalism in Canada, and from previous sociological studies on inter-racial
relationships.
I suggest that the experiences of inter-racial (Chinese/European) married couples
will show the powerful impact of the processes of racialization and reflect the resistance
and biases that result from a society which promotes acceptance and yet practices, at
best, a form of tolerance. This suggests that surface appearances of cultural inclusion
hide realities of non-acceptance and exclusionary practices. Although the subjects
interviewed in this thesis do not represent all inter-racial couples, the thesis offers a
Canadian perspective which complements existing literature in this area.
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Extent |
8732861 bytes
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Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
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Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2009-02-06
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0087067
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URI | |
Degree (Theses) | |
Program (Theses) | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
1996-05
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.