Conclusion: Contributions, Recommendations and Future Research Areas

Abstract

The research that led to the birth of this book was motivated by the need to explore and build insights into an under-researched area in family studies (particularly in Africa), viz. gay intimate unions and the construction and dynamics of gay households and familial relations. Given South Africa’s racist past and the challenges of its democratic, non-racial, non-sexist democratic present, this book established how interracial gay partners engage in decision-making, negotiations, and work through the division of labour in their current partnerships. A study of this nature has not been conducted before in South Africa, and as such the research fills a gap and invites new research in this field. Through the review of the literature, current discourses on gay partnerships in post-apartheid South Africa and elsewhere have been identified. The inconsistencies in these discussions reveal the complexities shaping discourses on race, sexuality and class in same-sex intimate relationships. The question of racial identity and ‘personal resources’ and how they influence the relationship is addressed in this book, as well as the way resilience strategies are drawn upon to sustain and keep intact the partnership. This chapter gives an overview of the book, a summary of the findings on gay partnerships, the theoretical contributions as well as recommendations and future research areas.