Exploring the Dynamics of Interracial Couples and Families
A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Family Studies".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 11
Special Issue Editor
Interests: experiences of interracial couples and families; culture; process-based research; qualitative research; parent–child relationships; factors influencing attachment in relationships; the impact of family of origin on self; couples and families; how addiction impacts the family; bullying and trauma; BIPOC experiences; LGBTQ+ experiences; ecological systems; couple, relational, marriage, and family therapy
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
While there is an ever-pressing need to understand interracial, intercultural, and interfaith families (including couples, partnerships, polyamorous relationships, and family systems), the instructions and frameworks for navigating race, culture, religion/spirituality, and traditions continue to evolve within today’s shifting geopolitical landscape. Since the publication of Interracial, Intercultural, and Interfaith Couples and Families Across the Life Cycle: A Clinician’s Guide by Gita Seshadri and Dumayi Gutierrez, new developments in immigration, politics, and relationships have further shaped—and been shaped by— the live experiences of these families. Mental health professionals often find themselves uncertain about how to best support these clients, highlighting a pressing need for interventions that foster deeper dialogue and responsiveness within this ever-changing environment.
This Special Issue seeks to explore therapeutic assessment, theoretical applications, and intervention strategies that promote meaningful dialogue and reduce oppression within interracial, intercultural, and interfaith families. At the individual level, contributors may examine how internalized stigma, couple and family identity, and psychological resilience intersect with relational experiences. At the relational level, studies may address the role of social support and attachment patterns in shaping well-being and faciliating conversations around difference.
A central aim of this Special Issue is to advance our understanding of how contemporary relational environments are influenced by current political rhetoric surrounding immigration, culture, race, and faith/spirituality. By centering diverse experiences—across intersections of age, parenting, ability, sexuality, relationship type, origin status, gender, and language—this collection aims to challenge universalized models of relationship development and offer nuanced insights into mental health disparities and protective factors through an intersectional lens.
Dr. Gita Seshadri
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- individual, couple, and relational well-being
- mental health
- intersectionality
- parenting
- immigration, race, culture, faith
- couple and family identity development
- social support
- stigma and discrimination
- power and privilege
- navigating difference
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