Connected on a heart level : An anthropological discussion about interracial relationships in post-apartheid South Africa

Abstract: Throughout history South Africa has been dominated by a white race group and during the era of apartheid racial segregation was encouraged as well as an idea of racial order was established through institutionalised racism. Marriage across racial borders was prohibited according to the Mixed Marriages Act. The end of apartheid and the transition to democracy in 1994 meant a radical political change within the country, but the issue of race became a question of social and economic inequality. In this essay I study the approaches and experiences of interracial couples in the post-apartheid society, and interracial couples impact on the South African society. I am particularly interested in the South Africans idea of social order today and whereas racial thinking is still present in the postapartheid society. I use qualitative content analysis to discuss ideas of order in relation to race and my material consist in audio files from interviews with interracial couples, as well as literature, books and articles. In my analysis I discuss cultural and social norms, fear of race pollution, prejudice and racial stereotypes as well as thoughts about unity and humanness. Racial thinking is still present in the South African society although the development of relationships across racial borders has increased since the end of apartheid. The interracial couples in my study notice a certain uncomfortableness among the people in their surroundings, some more than others, because people are still getting used to the thought of interracial couples. Although racist beliefs and power relations are still implied by the surroundings the couples appear to feel increasingly at home in South Africa, even though they live in an in-between world, in a New South Africa.