CAMPUS

From the Institute for Obvious Conclusions

A new study shows that college students have a more positive racial outlook when placed in more diverse environments. From Inside Higher Ed:

One key finding was the generally positive impact on racial attitudes of living with someone of a different race. Students [...] who lived with members of other ethnic groups showed statistically significant gains in comfort levels with people of different groups, having circles of friends beyond one’s own group, and a variety of other measures of tolerance toward different groups.

You don’t say!? Of course, the study also came to some less-positive, not surprising conclusions.

For example, the researchers also found that students who were members of largely homogeneous groups, such as student unions, fraternities and sororities, had decidedly un-cosmopolitan views:

The researchers examined the impact of membership in groups that are defined largely by race and ethnicity (such as black student unions) as well as membership in groups that do not have an explicit racial or ethnic mission, but have overwhelmingly white members (some fraternities and sororities). Generally, they found that a negative impact resulted from membership in these groups — white or minority — in which belonging to such a group led to an increase in feelings of victimization.

[...] [I]nvolvement with such groups also — in contrast to the more inclusive view of multiculturalism — increased students’ sense that they are victims and that all racial and ethnic groups are locked in “zero-sum competition.”

This shouldn’t be surprising to any college kids involved in their student government. There is an omnipresent bunker mentality in many student union groups that can get quite ugly and vicious, especially when budgeting season rolls around. In my time at the University of Oregon, I’ve seen student senators publicly be called racists for not giving groups as much funding as they’d like. (Not cutting budgets, mind you. Just not increasing budgets by enough.)

But getting back to the main conclusion of the study: Even if students benefit from more diverse environments, that doesn’t mean colleges should foist diversity upon students via things like racial preferences in admissions, etc. There are other, more fair approaches to the issue, such as increasing the number of scholarships and programs for low-income students.