An Analysis of Whites' and Blacks' Attitudes Towards Interracial Marriage

Although interracial marriages are growing more common in the U.S. today, some people still do not approve of interracial marriage, and approval rates likely vary by race and gender. Few studies have examined attitudes toward interracial marriage in recent decades, with the lone exception focusing exclusively on women (Baars 2009). The current research utilized data from the General Social Survey to examine racial (black versus white) and gender-based differences in attitudes towards interracial marriages over a thirty-year period, 1972-2002. Using logistic regression, the current study tested the effects of respondent race and gender--and the combination thereof--on approval toward versus disapproval of interracial marriages, controlling for demographic factors such as region, education level, age, church attendance and political affiliation. Findings show that blacks are significantly more likely to express approval than whites, and men are more likely to express approval than women, controlling for demographics. Also, in terms of race/gender interactions, black men, white men, and black women are all significantly more likely to approve of interracial marriage than white women, net of other factors. Independent of the effects of race and gender, there has been a significant increase in approval over the thirty-year period.

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's Degree

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Tucker, Joseph James

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Peoples, Clayton D.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Evans, Mariah
• Griffin, Timothy

• Intermarriage
• Marriage & Family
• Race Relations
• Social Attitudes

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright(All Rights Reserved)

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11714/3196

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarwolf.unr.edu:11714/3196