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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 other, less-positive 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.”

Why, who would have thought? We at the Commentator have certainly never experienced anything like that! (And I’m just cherry-picking there. The links could go on ad douchebageum.)

But getting back to the main conclusion of the study: Even if students benefit from more diverse environments, it would be a shame if universities used it as a precedent for foisting more ham-fisted diversity plans on students.

Oh, by the way, here’s the really weird/kind of funny part of the study:

The one exception to this positive impact was with Asian students as roommates: White and black students who lived with Asians tended to show increased prejudice against Asians on some measures after living with them.

P.S. Crossposted over at CAMPUS Magazine Online, where I also blog, and which has a fancy-pants new website.

  1. […] increase for student programs. And as we all know, fiscal conservatism is racism according to the bunker mentality that pervades the ethnic studies […]

  2. Left Coast Conservative says:

    How do I know? Well, let me give you a few references, if I may. I have tried to post these twice now but apparently links are not allowed, but the articles are as follows….

    foxnews.comstory/0,2933,467626,00.html

    studentsforacademicfreedom.org/news/90/DPCulpepper121903.htm

    newswithviews.com/Ryter/jon74.htm

    thefire.org/index.php/article/4990.html

    .therealitycheck.org/oncampus/oc_news_uia020806.html

    I hope that these get posted this time.

  3. Left Coast Conservative says:

    By the way, MERRY CHRISTMAS

  4. Chris says:

    “We already know that your grades are going to suffer if you express any kind of conservative value system”

    How do you know?

    I understand the point, but if the work you do is well-done, then there is a point of argument here with more than just the professor if you are actively being screwed because you are a conservative.

    Your proposed study reminds me of the radio ad where people with different accents call up to rent a place and every ‘ethnic’ sounding voice is skipped over but the ‘normal (white)’ voice gets an answer and a meeting time to see the place.

  5. Left Coast Conservative says:

    OK, given the results of that study, to which my comment would be DUH, how about if some of the students got together and did a study of their own concerning the faculty?

    Example – A black student, a white student and an Asian student in the same class, given the same assignment ‘study together’ and essentially turn in the same assignment paper, making enough changes so that they are not recognized as identical. Will they all receive the same grade? Is the faculty actually showing a prejudice of their own? Do foreign students receive better grades than domestic students for the same work?

    We already know that your grades are going to suffer if you express any kind of conservative value system, but what if you are simply a different ethnicity?

    Now that is a study about which I would really like to know the results.

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