ABSTRACT Interracial romantic partners (IRPs) are known to experience additional hardships in their relational functioning compared to same-race partners. This study explores the support processes that IRPs engage in with those who are often the source of external pressures on the romantic unit – family members. The study examines IRPs’ support expectations from family and how this shapes the support and resilience of the IRP over time. In-depth interviews were conducted with 32 IRPs and 30 parents of IRPs, resulting in a grounded theory of participants’ support expectations and their violations and ensuing experiences of support and/or strain. Based on their support expectations, participants came across three support paths after initiating support-seeking disclosure strategies. Encounters with these support paths resulted in support and strain for IRPs and their parents. Taken together, the results contribute to theorizing about processes of support and their functionality in underrepresented relationships.

中文翻译：

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异族浪漫伴侣对家人的支持和紧张期望的扎根理论

摘要与异族伴侣相比，异族浪漫伴侣（IRP）在关系功能上会遇到更多困难。这项研究探索了IRP与那些经常成为浪漫单位外部压力的人-家庭成员的支持过程。该研究考察了IRP对家庭的支持期望，以及它如何塑造IRP的支持和弹性。对32个IRP和30个IRP的父母进行了深入的访谈，形成了有根据的理论，即参与者的支持期望和他们的违背以及随后的支持和/或压力经历。根据他们的支持期望，参与者在启动寻求支持的披露策略后遇到了三种支持途径。遇到这些支持途径会给IRP及其父母带来支持和压力。两者合计，结果有助于从理论上讲，支持关系的过程及其在代表性不足的关系中的功能。