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Revealed and Stated Preferences in College Roommates Across and Within Race, Gender, Income, Religion, and Politics
Mon, August 11, 4:00 to 5:30pm, East Tower, Hyatt Regency Chicago, Floor: Ballroom Level/Gold, Grand Ballroom BAbstract
Understanding the housing preferences of college students prior to arriving on campus can offer critical insights into peer interactions, intergroup contact, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at higher education institutions. Specifically, this project aims to capture first year students’ preferences about roommates and housing prior to arriving on campus. The research is motivated by the question: How do the housing preferences of the incoming first-year University of Chicago students vary across and within dimensions of identity (race, gender, income, religion, politics)? This study draws upon original survey data collected September of 2023. By collecting the stated and revealed preferences of students, I am able to construct patterns for the direction and magnitude of student preferences. I deploy an intersectional approach centering race to capture patterns in students' roommate selection and use the assignment process of college roommates as the context for intergroup contact. Ultimately, trends emerge indicating general preferences in the dimensions of race and income. At the attribute level, we see preference for Black and high income students. In the dimensions of gender and political beliefs, we observe patterns of homophily at the attribute level. This research is important in that it seeks to refine understandings of the prerequisites for successful intergroup contact, thereby contributing to more nuanced frameworks on the interests of first-year college students and further exploring patterns of homophily. This study not only sheds light on the nuanced intersections of identity and housing, but also provides valuable implications for future research and policy endeavors.