Discrimination, Gender, and Class: An Intersectional Investigation of Black Americans’ Personal and Relational Well-Being

Abstract

Discrimination is a chronic stressor for Black Americans that occurs alongside other social positions and has implications for personal and relational well-being. Using data from the Survey of Midlife in the United States, this study examined the relative and multiplicative effects of gender and financial strain on the links between discrimination and personal and relational well-being among Black Americans in romantic relationships (N = 443). Results indicate that financial strain was associated with poorer personal well-being and that being female was associated with poorer relational well-being. Further, among women (but not men), discrimination was associated with poorer quality of life across levels of financial strain. The findings speak to the potential resilience of Black individuals and their relationships in the face of discrimination.