and
The study
utilized intensive interviews with undergraduate students to determine the
characteristics of same and different race groups of students.
In-depth interviews allowed the
authors to develop themes to describe the on campus
conditions which contribute to the greater possibility of positive racial
interactions amongst students. The four themes which emerged from the
interviews were: 1) the impact of peer communication in academic environments,
2) the influence of campus employment, 3) enriching experiences of residential
life, and 4) opportunities for social interaction. Implications and recommendations for increasing
positive cross cultural interactions are discussed.
Introduction
In what situations on campus do students have
positive experiences with students of other races and ethnic groups? Is it on the residence hall floor, as a
member of a student organization, part of a class team project or, perhaps,
participating on an intramural team?
Similarly where do students have negative experiences? The purpose of this study was to examine
situations and groups in the campus environment where students have positive
experiences, both with others of the same race and others of different races.
Our primary goal was to 1) better understand the situations in which students
have positive and negative racial experiences, and possibly 2) uncover common
characteristics of those situations in ways that will be helpful to the student
affairs practitioners in assessing the campus environment and the opportunities
existing on campus that can foster multiracial interaction among students.
Colleges
and universities have experienced a significant increase in the enrollment of
African American, Asian American, and Latino students within the past twenty
years (Wilds & Wilson, 1998). While the increase in these students
attending colleges provides the opportunity for an improved and richer multicultural
environment, research suggests that such
improvements are not as naturally occurring as one might think. For example, students of color attending
predominantly White institutions frequently perceive the environment to
be hostile and less interracial while
White students have less experiences with hostile interracial environments (Ancis, Sedlacek, & Mohr, in press;Helm,
Sedlacek, & Prieto, 1998; Loo & Rolison, 1986, Pascarella,
Edison, Nora, Hagedorn, & Terenzini,
1996).
In addition
to experiencing separate perceptions of the institution’s environment, students
of color and White students hold different perspectives on the establishment of
groups within a campus environment. Whereas White students tend to view groups
composed solely of one ethnicity as racial segregation (Loo
& Rolison, 1986, p.72), students of color
perceive the same groups as a support mechanism, which is related to their
retention (Sedlacek, 1998). Although it may seem likely that students within a multicultural
environment would have frequent interactions, these findings suggest that
interaction among the different racial groups may not be a typical occurrence.
The contact
hypothesis theory supports the assumption that close contact between members of
different races provides a greater possibility for positive racial attitudes to
develop and the lack of such contact fosters prejudice and ill will (Allport, 1954). Supporters of contact hypothesis view racial
segregation as a source of ignorance and ignorance as a building block for
derogatory stereotypes and racial hostility. This view holds that intergroup contact is a desired outcome and is most
successful under certain conditions.
These conditions include: the members having equal status, cooperative
interdependence among group members, a strong degree of interaction and
egalitarian norms (Allport, 1954; Cook, 1985; Gaertner, Dovidio & Bachman ,
1996). If stronger social bonds could be forged among races, they contend,
racial attitudes would improve dramatically (Sigelman &
Welch, 1993, Sherif, 1973). Therefore the more
frequent contact that students have with others of different races,
particularly under the conditions described, the more likely positive
relationships should develop.
While the
contact hypothesis and subsequent related work provides a theoretical basis for
understanding the conditions that might foster positive interaction, less seems
to be known about the conditions that actually exist in the wide variety of
real-life interactions. This study
examined the circumstances of different race and same race interaction among
Method
A qualitative research design,
specifically the critical incident technique (Flanagan, 1954, Woosley, 1986) and use of an interview guide (Patton, 1980,
Woosley, 1986)) were the chosen research methods. An
interview guide was selected to give a framework to develop questions, sequence
those questions and make decisions about which information to pursue in greater
depth (Patton, 1990).
Participants
Maximum variation sampling was
utilized because “any common patterns that emerge from great variation are of
particular interest, and value in capturing the core experiences …”(Patton, 1980, p.172). The
Demographic and Background Information of Participants
Participants
were asked to complete a brief background survey which asked their age, gender,
GPA, years in college, racial composition of previous high school, permanent
residential information, and information regarding social activity with
different and same racial groups on and off the University campus information
regarding on-campus organization involvement.
Background Information of Interviewers
The 21
interviewers were graduate students, 18 of whom were enrolled within a single
counseling course at the
Procedure
A training
session was held where interviewers conducted practice interviews and an
attempt was made to standardize procedures. The goal was to have each student
interview four, different-race students. This was accomplished in most cases.
There were five interviewers who were unable to complete all of their
interviews. Over a period of three
months (March - May, 1998) the interviewers contacted the students, scheduled
interviews, conducted the interviews, and translated responses to the 13 item
questionnaire.
A
semi-structured interview was developed for data collection. Bogdan and Biklen (1992) suggest
that “with semi-structured interviews, you are confident of getting comparable
data across subjects, but you lose the opportunity to understand how the
subjects themselves structure the topic at hand” (p.97). In order to allow students to respond in a
manner that was both individual in nature and consistent with the interview
guide framework, the interviewers were encouraged to use their sense of
judgement to make decisions about when and how to employ probes that would
either digress or expand the interview guide.
Interview
questions were designed to obtain rich information regarding specific incidents
with same race or different race groups of college students. Questions were
designed around the conceptualization of elements involved in contact
hypothesis (Allport,
1954; Cook, 1985; Gaertner et al. 1996; Gaertner, Rust, Dovidio, Bachman,
& Anastasio, 1994). Areas addressed included: a)
descriptions of positive and negative experiences with peers, significant
others and college professors of different and same races while on and off
campus b) degree of time spent in those interactions, and c) location of these
activities. These students were specifically questioned about their extent of
interaction and level of contact with those students who were of different
races than themselves. A detailed interview guide was given to each of the
interviewers.
Analysis
An
inductive approach to analyzing data was employed (Hycner;
1985, Witkin; 1995) to help draw meaning from the
content of the interviews. Each interview was tape-recorded, and verbal
responses were written during the interview.
The responses were compiled to assess any identifiable themes. The content of each interview was diagnosed
to derive specific themes. Themes were
analyzed according to the general areas of the interview guide. For example,
“description of positive or negative experiences with people of the same race”
(taken from the interview guide) provided a heading so that units of meaning
taken from the interviews could be explored thematically. Themes were derived
for each of the units and analytic notes were utilized throughout the process.
As themes emerged for each participant’s responses, a chart was developed for
each student and compared across cases for overall similarities and
differences. The final themes emerged through rewriting, reflecting, reviewing
taped descriptions, and comparing interpretations with another researcher who
had become knowledgeable of the written questionnaires. The use of another
researcher provided inter-rater reliability and accountability of the data
source and interpretations.
Results
Themes
Four themes
emerged from the data: a) peer
communication in academic environments, b) campus employment interaction, c)
experiences of residential life, and d) opportunities for social interaction.
Peer Communication in Academic Environments
Students
described academic environments as an opportunity to engage in rich dialogue
with peers and faculty members of different ethnic and racial backgrounds.
Although classes may have presented challenges for interaction (e.g., large
size), students generally appeared to embrace a safe classroom environment that
encouraged discussion. These experiences included small group classroom
discussions; discussions regarding race, ethnicity and gender issues;
interactive classroom activities; and study groups. In general, students most frequently
reflected academic situations that allowed them to engage in enriching
activities that fostered knowledge of the subject matter as well as allowed
them to get to know other students.
The small group classroom
discussions seemed especially conducive to fostering experiences with different
races. Discussion groups of about 25
students were a required component of many 150-300 plus classrooms. For those
students, the sessions became opportunities to have positive experiences with
those that were different than them. Amy, an Asian freshman student noted:
I took an African American history class last semester
and that means that like 98% of the class were African American and it was a
great experience. I learned a lot about them (African Americans students) . . .
you know you interact with them (African American students) a lot in classes
and discussion groups. That was a good experience for me. Helpful, easy to get along
with ….no conflicts. I count the discussion classes a lot more because
you interact more personally with them (African American students).
For Amy,
her experiences within a freshman elective class was
an enriching opportunity to learn about others in a small discussion group of
twenty people rather than the 150 within her large lecture class.
For some of
the participants, classroom interaction becomes a way for students to come out
of their protective environments and learn about others. If properly
facilitated by the instructor, in most cases a teaching assistant, a small
group discussion became a safe environment to dialogue about stereotypes,
prejudices, differences, and similarities between cultures. Similar to Amy, David was also the only
member of his racial group (Latino) in a discussion group. But unlike, Amy, he had always lived in
predominantly white neighborhoods and had never had much interaction with
other, non-white races. David explained the significance of an in class
situation:
In my Black Drama Class, we had a very interesting
discussion about how perpetuation of stereotypes, and stereotypes in general that whites have of blacks and that Americans have of
Africans. And it was very interesting to see how people of different races have
different points of view. I think that people of different races just because
of small cultural differences between the races have different opinions and
they are subject to differences in upbringing and stuff….. I think that the
variety of opinions of the discussion that was brought to this group enriched
it. I mean obviously the class is going to be predisposed to racial
discussions, but I just think that diversity in the class does add a lot of
variety and opens not only White people’s eyes to minority views but also
minority’s eyes to White’s views.
Although most students reported
positive interactions within classroom situations, some students reported
negative incidents where improper classroom management may have led to
uncomfortable classroom disorder.
For Sherry,
an African American senior, heated classroom debates were usually welcomed
forms of communication, yet she became surprised when her Foundations of
Education instructor stated that minorities should not be in the same high
school with White students and children with special needs should be in
separate schools.
It became a really racial debate. You could feel the
hostility in the room. Lots of yelling, lots of arguing.
People started crying. I thought there was going to be a fight. It was just
bad. I think he (the teacher) could have taken it in a different way. Unless that’s what he wanted. People could get stirred up. I
mean that was just my opinion. It was kind of scary that people still felt that
way especially because people want to be teachers. He felt so strong about that
…. I wonder if he could feel that way
and teach. I think sometimes you have to keep your prejudices inside and deal
with it at another time. Especially if you are going to be a
teacher.
Students
also mentioned how classroom experiences often have conflicting results. It may have been valuable to hear different
opinions yet the impact of the comments may only have served to confirm how far
apart college students may still be on controversial issues. An example of this
was when Carlos
in describing his first freshman discussion group (he is now a senior).
We got into a discussion about language
.. about making English …. English
as the only language. Because, you know proposition 209, which was very
near and dear to my heart (he is from
Classrooms
were not the only academic related areas conducive to fostering multi cultural
communication. Many of the interviews revealed that students engaged in a
number of outside classroom activities stemming from their academic studies.
Nina, a White female from
The interviews suggested that the rigors of
academic life encourage study groups and academic achievement, yet can also
influence the growth and respect of other cultures and ethnicities. Melissa
explained it well when she described her experiences with a microbiology study
group:
Every time I have a study group I tend to study with
people of different races … I don’t know if that helps ….it just happens that
they are not Asian…. Just that we (her
study group) not only could
together, we could also talk about other things. Like we could
get into personal experiences, make each other laugh, just get through
stresses. It’s just that I really felt comfortable with them. I learned more
about them like their backgrounds and how they are different from me. Not just
race wise but class wise.
Melissa, an
Asian student, described a group that was White, African American, and Middle
Eastern. More frequently than not, students described groups of people that were very racially diverse. In addition some students also found study
groups to be a method of decreasing racially influenced stereotypes of campus
organizations. For Mark, an African American male, a study group in a
fraternity house was an eye opening experience.
I was studying for stats (statics)
and I didn’t know anything about frats. But what I did know was negative. It
became positive because I learned what they were all about. I mean …. I got
some stereotypes …. they are labeled as people who
like to play and they are all about being Caucasian or just not diverse. I
thought it was cool ….. what the frat is all about and
what they do in the fraternity.
Mark clearly felt as though his
three-hour experience with seven White fraternity members was a catalyst for
changing his perception about a specific group, in this case fraternity
members. So for some students, academic enrichment also means opportunities for
individual growth through interaction with others.
Campus Employment Interaction
On and off
campus employment opportunities were frequently mentioned as opportunities to
learn about other races in an environment that sponsored growth,
accomplishment, and responsibility. In several cases, the experience of
striving to achieve common goals in the work setting became the impetus for
increased interaction with different racial group
Allen
explained this experience in the America Reads program (a community service
initiative):
The make-up (of the employees) across the
board…..is very diverse. Sharing a common commitment on everybody’s part, their
enjoyment of working with kids and seeing that affecting a lot of people. We
were all in that program for the same reason.
I guess at the same time while working with mentors of a wide variety of
backgrounds, I worked with a lot of different kids who had varied circumstances
in their lives.
Erica, a
White junior, expressed her enjoyment with working in Campus Recreation
Services.
…it’s just a huge range of all kinds of different
kinds of people, means we have people from all types of backgrounds. When I first came here
(to college) I stayed basically in a middle class type of society. But here, I
just love it. You get to meet all kinds of people. Its very enjoyable meeting
people from all over. I think what was positive was I came from a school
with very few minorities and (no) different religions. And just being exposed
to everything ….. I love to learn about different cultures.
No only do
students working on campus experience exchanges of culture, they also are
awarded opportunities to affect other students through program development.
Lori, a Lispanic female, felt that being a Resident
Assistant was as beneficial for herself as the students she advised.
I work for Resident Life so for the most part we’re
all women because we work for a women’s dorm. And we (are) all of different
nationalities. …. Also have differences in culture where we can contribute
different things to different programs. I guess we can get to know about each
other’s culture as well. And give them an opportunity to learn about my
culture. It’s really positive when they are open to hearing about me and it
helps me be more open minded to knowing about their culture. Our staff
development meetings have a time where we can get to know something about each
other; differences in families, different holiday’s, learn about Christian
things, Jewish things, Muslim Holidays, and stuff like that.
Experiences of Residential Life
In numerous
cases, students indicated that living in the residence halls provided extensive
opportunities for interactions with different races in a nonthreatening
environment. Organized activities as
well as spontaneous gatherings were the impetus for enriching experiences among
students. Monica and Nicole, an African American junior and a White senior
respectively, found their residential experiences to provide concrete
opportunities for multi cultural interaction with others. Nicole explained the
significance of her experience in the residence hall:
I live on campus with three girls that are of
Nicole had not spent much time
outside of her racial group prior to attending the
I lived in Easton Hall and my floor consisted of
people who had different backgrounds. Nothing in particular happened. Just that I was able to interact with people
of different races. Because I went to a high school that was predominantly
black so there weren’t many other races there at the school. So I think that was the most rewarding part
of being on that floor. Going to the
floor meetings and stuff really allowed me to meet the people.
Freshman
residential living appeared to be a crucial environment for sharing multi
cultural experiences. In remembering her freshman year, Andrea, an African
American senior recalled her best positive experience with people of different
races:
The best positive experience would be when I bought my
friend a Grease tape; you know the movie Grease? She’s also Black. We were
watching it and all these other girls ended up coming in. I mean everybody on
our floor. It was just a lot of fun. A
lot of people ended up missing it so we ended up rewinding it and ordered pizza
and popcorn and everything. That was really nice. It was the first and only time.
We never got together like that again after that. We were just all getting
along and enjoyed it. We ended up talking a lot and learning about each other.
We had never had any other chances to learn about each other in a
non-threatening situation. I mean it was really nice to get to know everybody.
It wasn’t preplanned I think that was also why I enjoyed it.
Although
primarily positive, experiences with people of different races within or near
residential housing can become negative when factors like alcohol abuse are
added to the experience. As a Alex, a White freshmen
describes in this experience:
A couple of friends of mine (four White males) and I
had a run in with I think six Black guys that were getting loud. We were
threatened by physical violence by them. I think we sort of talked to them and
said “Hey listen weve both been drinking,
we’re both a little juiced so”…I mean the drinking might have had something to
do with it. You know tempers flare when you’re under the influence.
Opportunities for Social Interaction
The
participants’ responses suggest that social activities were frequent
opportunities for positive and negative interactions among racial groups. These activities would include on-campus
sponsored events like cultural organization parties and large-scale, campus
wide events within the Stamp Student Union and around campus. Informal
activities such as watching movies, meals, impromptu discussions with peers,
religious observances and the like were also common. Physical activities (e.g., recreational
sports) were also mentioned.
In several cases social activities referred to
University sponsored events. Often these events included large crowds of people
over 300 people. The University’s McKeldin Mall is a
popular outdoor gathering place for many of the events and was often used in
reference to describing larger campus sponsored activities. An example is
Craig’s description of a spring concert:
I believe it was a spring concert on the mall but it
had different types of groups come and perform. It was like a diverse setting
where different types of groups came and performed. The audience was really
diverse. What usually happens when you go to a club or something is that you
see the same types of people.
For Craig, the event became a daylong
affair after spending about five hours with a racially mixed group of twenty
male friends. Similar to many participants, Craig was influenced to attend the
event by the numerous flyers posted about campus. As he reflected back upon his
experiences, he said that it (going with such a racially mixed group) would
normally not have happened in that way. As a freshman (he was a sophomore when
he took the survey) he was eager to get involved in everything and went to
great lengths to meet different people. However, as time went on he became more
selective about event attendance but still maintained diverse friendships.
Similar to
Craig, Karen, an African American freshman who attended a predominantly African
American High School, also utilized campus events to socialize with racially
diverse people. In describing one such event she illustrated how the campus
event seemed to unite people:
This one (the campus event) …the BSU (Black Student
Union) was part of it but there were like other groups involved. Asian, Hispanic…..
and just having a good time together. Step show
parties, different areas where you could taste foods of different cultures and
do things of different cultures. It was positive because it was different
organizations coming together.
Large-scale
university sponsored activities were of course not the only opportunities that
students utilized to interact with others. David, an 18 year old Latino
freshman described a decision his friends made to attend a movie at the
University theater:
A friend of ours just called some people up and wanted
to do something during the weekend. We hung out, got tickets and after the
movies we went to a local diner. Just had a good time and ….really something
that we take for granted at times.
David’s friends were two Asian
Americans, two African Americans, and one White student. Not only was the movie
fun to see but he also learned more about his peers. Participants, like David,
consistently provided detail descriptions of existing events offered on a
frequent basis (daily movie offerings, sporting events, sharing meals).
Anthony’s experience with sharing a meal, however, was different than David’s
story.
One time I was eating lunch with two guys from my
floor and they were both white and we were talking about (I have a full
scholarship) Affirmative Action and they were saying how sometimes minorities
get preference for those. And I was saying that there are some white people on
my floor who also have full scholarships…. and one of them said it’s good to
know that a white man can still get a scholarship like that. …It wasn’t intended to be offensive but I
kind of believe in Affirmative Action.
Although
some participants recalled large events as opportunities to meet different
races, smaller student organization sponsored events appeared to offer relaxed
and familiar atmospheres for interaction with students of a similar race. Brandon, an African American student,
discussed several positive experiences with different races but also reflected
how relaxed he felt attending an event sponsored by the Black Student Union.
The Black History event, “The Cabaret,” given in the campus cultural center,
allowed him to just “enjoy sitting back and listening to the poetry.” Being
with a “whole bunch of people who shared similar interest” was a positive
experience with people of his own race. Alicia, an
Asian student, found the Asian Student Union to be a very comforting place.
Alicia recalled wanting to find an opportunity to get to know other Asian
students during her freshman year (she is a sophomore):
It was my first semester at the university and it was
the first club I joined. And it was Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Filipino.
….that group compared to the other groups was more open to each other …. compared to the other groups that were more cliquish. The
members are really open to you and help you out.
Even though
she only attended three meetings, she “got lazy and didn’t attend anymore,”
Alicia, like many other respondents found having ethnically oriented
organizations to be very welcome resources, especially during the first
tumultuous year in college.
Although
many student organizations are academic in focus, students like Amanda enjoyed
the socially supportive atmosphere they offered as well. In describing her first visit to the Society
of Hispanic Professional Engineers, she remembered that “they (the students)
actually told me what classes to take….. like core…...
I guess it was kind of nice to actually speak my language and pretty much my
customs and stuff..” In contrast to that organization,
Amanda, a
It was nothing bad, just kind of feeling
uncomfortable. I don’t know what I was doing there, but I remember I went to their
lounge probably the first or second time and when I went in everyone started
looking at me and they were not at all friend (ly),
maybe because they were all white. Usually, and I know people who go in there,
(people) think they are nice. I mean they asked me what did I
want. You don’t need a reason to go in there. Sometimes I just go in and
just sit down. I was surprised they asked. I was there for about two or three
minutes. I didn’t go there for a while.
The feeling
of discomfort in a group of races unlike themselves was not only found in
experiences of students of color. White students indicated experiences where
they felt unwelcome within environments on and off campus. One example occurred
when Megan, an 18-year-old White student, attended a student organization
sponsored concert:
We were both late….. When people started looking at us
…. I mean giving us bad looks. I just felt uncomfortable in a bad way because
people were giving me looks. I only stayed for an hour because I wasnt having as good of a time as I thought I
would. I think that they (the students) were just surprised to see white girls
going to see this type of music.
In many
cases students found opportunities to meet others by joining organized physical
activities. Not only did these events provide exercise but also were
opportunities to learn about other racial groups. Allen’s experiences with
playing intramural volleyball seemed to typify these interactions. As Allen
explained:
…. it (playing volleyball) is really just the whole
experience a seasonal thing with different people. Getting different
perspectives on individuals and I guess their interest in the game, approaches
in playing the sport. One kid lived in
Allen’s
experience, as one Asian sophomore expressed, was an example of how different
types of students can get a “chance to just hang out with each other and become
friends instead of roommates.” Even
though positive experiences involving physical activity were cited, several
students reflected how frequently sporting events among different racial groups
could become confrontational. Mark, described it best
when he said:
We were playing a game (basketball) during my
sophomore year. I’m not sure how it came about but we just keep getting at each
other back and forth. I think it was just being stupid and taking my
aggressions out on the person, but I don’t remember exactly what happened. It
was just a confrontation.
Many of the
participants like Mark, a White junior, often revealed that the competition
would always appear to be one racial group against another. As in Mark’s case,
three African American players were competing against three White players.
On and off
campus social events were frequently cited as opportunities for multi cultural
interaction. Students referenced the
positive social atmosphere of parties with their own racial group yet also
indicated a lack of receptiveness at parties where they were in the minority.
An example of this experience was Amy’s experience with fraternity party
attendance.
….I just felt really, really, out of place. Like I
don’t know how to explain it but the crowd at the party was 100% white and I
just felt out of place. The fact that I felt really excluded
and not just a part of the culture. The cultures were just really
different. I would say that I really didn’t see people taking interest. I felt
like there was almost an understanding that look we’re different – let’s just
keep it at that….. the guys were just not very
culturally aware and it was just shocking to me. Well, something interesting I
found was that most of the parties you go to there is not a lot of racial mix.
Interpretation
of this study must emphasize that the findings may be unique to
Although
additional interviewers were hired, the gender and racial identity of the
graduate student interviewers may have affected the level of responses from the
students. The study was unable to assess
whether same-race and different-race interviewer/participant combinations might
have affected the responses. For
example, the majority of the interviewers were White. Because they were discussing a sensitive
topic (racial contact), students of color may have been hesitant to discuss
issues of race with someone who did not have similar racial
characteristics. Conversely, some
interviewers may not have been as comfortable speaking with such a diverse
student population.
This study
began with the objectives to: 1) better understand the situations in which
students have positive and negative racial experiences, and 2) uncover any common characteristics
of those situations in ways that will be helpful to the student affairs
practitioner.
Some
overall observations:
The
situations described by the students vary from structured environments with
significant University oversight (e.g., work) to unstructured situations in
which they are free to choose with whom and how they will associate. Student affairs professionals should
recognize the different characteristics of these situations and adapt
strategies accordingly.
For
example, the more structured academic and work environments provide a
particularly fertile opportunity to foster interaction. Research has shown that is not sufficient to
simply put people who are different together and things will improve. As reported earlier, it is most successful when the members have equal
status, are interdependent, and provided ample opportunity to interact. Both the classroom and work setting provide
the opportunity for faculty and administrators alike to positively affect these
interactions. The classroom should be
considered a pro-active opportunity for different-race peer learning and
dialogue. “Rather than leaving cross-racial interactions among students to
chance, educators should make peer groups a deliberate and positive part of the
educational process in colleges and universities.” (Hurtado, et al, 1998, p 292). The work environment is also a prime
opportunity to purposefully create cross-racial work teams that can foster
better understanding.
Less
structured environments, on the other hand, provide both positive opportunities
and negative risks. There seems to be
natural tendency to want to interact with people whom we consider similar. When groups of different race students
encounter each other in certain situations there seems to be a greater
potential for problems. Aggravating factors
include alcohol and physical competition.
While we promote physical activities, we need to be sensitive to
situations in which groups of different race students are competing and the
ease to which comments or behaviors can cross the line and create negative
conflict.
In the less
structured environments, students do not seem to view the administration as the
catalyst for bringing different students together,
rather it seems that they see themselves as the initiators of positive
contact. For example, there was very
little mentioning of explicit diversity programming as the vehicle of
interaction. Does this mean that such
programming is not necessary? Of course not. It may
imply, however, that administrators distinguish between the planning
function, which may have a very intentional focus on assisting diversity goals,
and how these events and activities are publicly presented. So having an underlying strategy to promote
diverse interaction sounds fine, but the students may simply want to
participate in an interesting activity, and if they are able to have a pleasant
experience with people they consider different, so much the better.
These
observations lead to the following recommendations:
1.
Understand
the power of the academic environment to provide the basis for improving
students’ social development and positive interactions with others. Initiate cooperative efforts with interested
faculty to mutually uncover the best practices that have already worked in the
classroom and find vehicles to inform and promote their use among other
faculty. Because so much of the
students’ success revolves around their academic activity this is a prime place
to look for opportunities to allow them to engage in growth promoting
interaction.
2. View the work environment as another
key vehicle to promote better interaction.
There are built-in opportunities to cause different students to meet on
a regular basis, especially in situations in which their mutual cooperation is
necessary to get the best job done within the work environment. Conversely,
administrators should be sensitive to, and take pro-active steps against the
coalescing of students into same-race work teams and creating situations in
which competition is facilitated between such groups. Obviously, hiring a diverse student workforce
is the first key. For example, the
2.
In
the social environment,
actively think of ways to create opportunities for students to interact in
safe, non-threatening environments, so that friendships can grow. For example,
the
3.
Understand
the nature of the different situations and not try to fit them all to the same
model. In more structured situations,
pay attention to the factors that foster better intergroup
contact, since these are more controllable.
In less structured environments seek to create environments which will
more likely foster students who are different getting together on their
own. Make sure that diversity is a key
aspect of programming efforts, but perhaps it is not as necessary (nor sometimes
helpful) to publicize events as “diversity events.”
In summary,
we see that there are ample opportunities to improve relations. One observation is to realize that students are
having positive interactions. It seems
that negative incidents capture much of our attention, and while it is
legitimate to attend to these incidents, there are positive interactions
occurring all over campus in daily interactions. We should not lose sight of this rich ground
for promoting better relations. Also, we
must understand the degree to which student affairs administrators, along with
their colleagues, establish the environment and provide many of the situations
that will guide interactions toward positive ends or not.
Appendix
Interview Guide
Think of an occasion where
you had a positive experience about
being in a group with people of
different races on the
Think of an occasion where
you had a positive experience about
being in a group with people of
different races off the
Think of an occasion where
you had a negative experience about
being in a group of people of different
races on the
Think of an experience where
you had a negative experience about
being in a group of people of different
races off the
Descriptions of experiences
Exactly what aspect of the
experience was positive or negative?
What lead you to become
involved in the experience?
How many people were
involved in the experience?
Would you be able to tell me
the racial/ethnic background of the members involved in the experience?
Degree of time spent in the interaction
How long were you involved
in the experience?
Location of the activities
Would be able to tell me
where the experience occurred?
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