Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of Diversity Over Time

• In Event: 1284 - Section on Racial and Ethnic Minorities Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 08. College Students' Understandings of Race/Ethnicity

Abstract

In an increasingly diverse nation, it is critical to cultivate an appreciation of racial difference. To do this, we must understand the ways citizens think about diversity, and situate these within our current racial structure to bridge current lay understandings with the reality of racial inequality. In this paper, we interviewed thirty-two first- and second-year students about their perceptions of diversity and, in the context of diversity, how well they fit in at their university. We re-interviewed 18 of these students two years later, when they were in their third or fourth year in college. We found that these students classified a wide range of traits under the concept of diversity. With respect to race, students exhibited a high degree of color-blind racism as described by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva. While students’ attitudes about diversity were quite stable over these two years, there were interesting changes. Namely, the introduction of mentions of “learning styles” and “career goals” in the second interviews reflects the depth with which individuals’ concepts of difference and diversity are deeply embedded in their social context.

Authors

• Molly J. Dingel, University of Minnesota-Rochester

• Starr K Sage, University of St. Thomas