Abstract
M.A. (Sociology)
In South Africa, marriage and the nuclear family type were always regarded as essential institutions for preserving the capitalist system and societal norms. However, it is evident that there is a decline in marriage and child bearing rates, where a number of women, particularly middle class women, are choosing to stay unmarried or childless. However, single black middle class women are under studied, in particular about their experiences of intimacy.
Therefore, to understand how black middle class women experience intimacy, this study used a qualitative research method. Twenty black middle class women were interviewed at the end of the study and the data that was gathered from these interviews was then analysed using thematic content analysis and these are captured in the findings. What came out from the study was that these women had varied experiences, even though they consider themselves middle class. Their experiences of intimacy illustrate that they do not have homogenous experiences. However, one significant finding from the findings is that their middle class position gives them the opportunity to choose for themselves, but at the same time restricts them by stigmatisation and by narrowing the range of suitable partners.