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Paul
Lv 7
Paul asked in Social SciencePsychology · 8 years ago

Historically, was falling in love with someone of another race ever considered a psychological disorder?

I'm not saying for one second that it actually *is* a psychological disorder. But throughout the history of psychology we've had some pretty spurious disorders - even one, of which I cannot remember the name, describing the condition of a slave not liking being a slave; a persistent runaway (the "cure" was, completely unsurprisingly, a beating).* I mean, why wouldn't a slave want to remain a slave? o_O

So it seems entirely in keeping with that style of thinking that a society, such as that of the USA, which both loves to medicalise things which it considers wrong and considered interracial partnerships wrong - illegal, no less! - well into the twentieth century would possibly have diagnosed interracial love as a mental disorder. I'm wondering if it did, and if so, what would it have been called. And, while I think about it, what would treatment have been, and (if you're feeling especially knowledgeable, you clever, extremely handsome answerer, you) how many were diagnosed?

For no reason other than to satisfy my own perverse curiosity.

*I got that thing about the slavery from the excellent show QI, and have no idea what I'd even search for to find the name.

2 Answers

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  • Naguru
    Lv 7
    8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    Never.

    Source(s): own
  • 8 years ago

    No, but I think that it was considered shameful. There was more racial prejudice than there is today.

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