Anita Foeman

From Miscegenation to Multiculturalism Perceptions and Stages of Interracial Relationship Development

Our first blueprint for social interaction comes from our family of origin. To a large extent, this blueprint is based on culture (Gudykunst & Ting-Toomey, 1990). We have come to understand how outside influences affect in-group communication (see Foeman & Pressley, 1987; Kochman, 1981; Orbe, 1994; Stanback & Pearce, 1981, for examples of this dynamic in Black-White race relations). However, much investigation still needs to be conducted to understand communication when individuals from different groups engage in ongoing and intimate relationships, such as interracial marriage. In intimate cross-group contacts, the number of relevant perceptions, metaperceptions, meta-metaperceptions, and so forth become almost incalculable (Bateson, Jackson, Haley, & Weakland, 1956/1972). We can assume that in the course of a long-term relationship that crosses cultural lines, many struggles may occur at the meta level with little chance of easy resolution. The goal of this examination is to consider the dynamics that occur when individuals of different races, in particular African American and European American, attempt to develop successful intimate relationships. African American and European American

Ethnic culture and corporate culture: Using black styles in organizations

The purpose of this examination is to consider the positive impact black organizational members can make in the work place using their unique interpersonal style. The authors pursue this end by reviewing the literature addressing cultural differences between black and white interpersonal communicators. Throughout the discussion the authors extrapolate from the literature in order to consider how differing interpersonal styles can add to the organizational environment. Cross‐cultural difficulties are also addressed.

Building New Cultures, Reframing Old Images: Success Strategies of Interracial Couples

This work examines the relationship strategies employed by Black-White interracial couples and considers their unique challenge in managing a relationship that commands so much public scrutiny. The field of communication has highlighted many differences in racial styles. This work attempts to explore how intimate communication across racial lines can and does work effectively. The authors consider four stages of relationship development (racial awareness, coping, identity emergence, and maintenance) to explore the communication requirements at various stages of the couples life together.

Questioning Race: Ancestry DNA and Dialog on Race

Human genetics and racial identity converge pointedly in the family narrative. Until recently, genetics, racial identity, and family narrative were all rather malleable concepts in the public arena. All were presented in anecdotal form for the most part, and were often based on certain social conventions. The interjection of popularly available ancestry DNA data adds an additional piece of information to the discussion of genetics, race, and narrative. Using the framework of both narrative theory and theory of social construction, this work uses quantitative and qualitative data to explore how individuals react to ancestry DNA findings and to consider if and how this information will change narratives, behaviors, and perspectives. We also explore whether ones racial identification makes a difference in initial accuracy and if there is a difference among racial groupings in terms of change in census identification based on knowledge of their DNA profile.

Interracial Couples’ Conflict Styles on Educational Issues

This study reports results of a quantitative survey of interracial couples’ conflict styles on one specific issue—education. Interracial couples answered a slightly revised version of Putnam-Wilsons Organizational Communication Conflict Instrument to assess conflict styles in dealing with education. The paper has three research questions: Do men and women score differently on self-reported use of conflict styles when dealing with educational issues? Does age or race predict self-reported conflict style for husbands when they deal with educational issues? and Does age or race predict self-reported conflict style for wives dealing with educational issues? A difference on control emerged between husbands and wives, with the latter showing more control-oriented behavior compared to the former. Wives’ age and race were not related to control, non-confrontation, or solution. Husbands who are Asian or Latino were more likely to exercise control. Older husbands’ responses reflected that they were more likely to display solution-oriented behaviors over control-oriented ones.

In our own words: Academically successful and unsuccessful low‐income African American young men talk about academic life

abstract A research team of Black and White, male and female, student and faculty members applied rhetorical analysis to interviews conducted with low‐income African American young men. The team identified and examined major themes that emerged as young African American men attending an inner city parochial high school discuss school life. Several patterns emerged that distinguished more academically successful students from the less. Surprisingly, some tendencies that might have been expected as distinguishing characteristics do not emerge as defining qualities.

Shifting Winds: Using Ancestry DNA to Explore Multiracial Individuals’ Patterns of Articulating Racial Identity

ABSTRACT This study explored how genotype information affects identification narratives of multiracial individuals. Twenty-one multiracial individuals completed individual interviews before and after receiving a DNA analysis to clarify their genetically based racial ancestry. Based on results, this article proposes patterns of articulating racial identity by multiracial individuals. Four patterns extend evolving research in multiracial identification, namely (1) the individual articulates a monoracial identity; (2) the individual articulates one identity, but this can shift in response to various conditions; (3) the individual articulates an extraracial identity, opting out of traditional categories applied to race; and (4) the person distinguishes traditional categories of race from culture and owns the two identities in different ways. Implications of these findings are discussed. First, adding new ancestry DNA information further muddles the neat categories of race, consistent with the view of race as socially constructed. Second, results emphasize the fluidity of identification for multiracial individuals. Third, DNA information challenges the neat percentages people tend to associate with their backgrounds. Particularly for younger multiracial individuals, there was less of a sense that race was a real thing and more that culture played a big part in how they saw themselves.

Untethering Education: Creating a Pilot Hybrid Class to Enhance Learning in Intercultural Communication

Improvements in educational technology in the past couple of decades have led institutions of higher learning to encourage and implement various types of distance education courses. This article reports on the conversion process of a face-to-face Intercultural Communication class at a mid-Atlantic university in the USA. First, the impetus for its creation is described, followed by the process of creating this course. Then a description of the course is presented, followed by the assessment design and results comparing the hybrid course to its face-to-face version offered in the past in terms of cognitive, behavioural, and attitudinal measures. The assessment results show that students enrolled in the hybrid course performed as well or better on knowledge questions. Students in the hybrid course outperformed face-to-face students in terms of attendance, but performed similarly for other behavioral measures. Overall, students in the hybrid course had positive attitudes toward the course.