5 - (SYM 21) Consensual Non-monogamy and African American College Student: A Phenomenological Study on Experience and Support

Consensual Non-Monogamy (CNM) is an umbrella term for relationships in which all partners explicitly consent to engage in romantic, intimate, or sexual relationships with multiple people. In a recent study on polyamory, one form of CNM, data from a nationally representative sample of 3,438 single adults in the U.S. from a range of backgrounds found that one in six (16.8 percent) respondents wanted to be polyamorous, one in nine (10.7 percent) have been polyamorous at some point in their lives, and approximately one in 15 (6.5 percent) said they knew someone who was or is polyamorous. Studies concerning the CNM population and its intersections with race, health, education, law, and other external factors have begun to permeate academia; however, literary apertures still need to be approached. The experiences of Consensually Non-Monogamous African American (CNM-AA) college students are one of those apertures. This study, using a phenomenological research method with a social constructionist epistemology, explored the CNM-AA lived experiences to determine (1) what the experiences of CNM-AA college students are with faculty and staff on college campuses, (2) what the experiences of CNM-AA college students are with other students on college campuses and (3) what supports colleges and universities provide CNM-AA college students on college campuses. Overall, this study's findings reinforced and deepened the existing literature's determinations that American CNM populations are affected in multiple ways by the various socially propagated normative concepts that create discriminatory and unhealthy living conditions. The study manifested 19 themes organized by the questions they pertained to, with an extra section describing other efforts and barriers CNM-AA college students faced throughout matriculation. Several recommendations concerning future research studies and implementable practices are made to institutions, the CNM-AA populations, and researchers. The goal is for this research to be a foundation for increased understanding, acceptance, and support for this marginalized community and the movement toward a more inclusive and equitable society for all individuals.