Essay on Multiculturalism and Diversity in Higher Education

Introduction

There have been numerous debates about the type of knowledge that should be included in the general education curriculum. Notably, most of these debates and especially those that erupted in the mid-1960s focused on including racial, ethnic, gay, and women voices in the curriculum (Castro, 2010). By the end of the 1960s, the debates shifted from whether to do it to how to do it. Since then, United States universities have increasingly become diverse, though with some challenges, and most are faced with fierce resistance. This paper is critical as it studies multiculturalism and diversity in higher education as represented by different authors.

Nonwhite in US Universities

Most United States universities include a range of different cultures. The National Center for Education Statistics often breaks these cultures down into merely race and ethnicity. Their data contains figures often only for the black, white, and Hispanic (“Black Students in the Condition of Education 2020”, 2020). This breakdown is sufficient if one needs to understand or get a rough idea of the number of US colleges with a cultural heritage that might be considered nontraditional or nonwhite. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, United States universities and colleges have increased annual enrollment. For instance, the overall enrollment rate for 18 and 24 years old increased from 35 percent in 2001 to 41 percent in 2018 (“Black Students in the Condition of Education 2020”, 2020). Fifty-nine percent of this were Asians, and 42 percent were white (“Black Students in the Condition of Education 2020”, 2020). In other words, this means that the nonwhite population in US universities is increasing.

Challenges Experienced by Nonwhite Students and Their Significance

Nevertheless, and regardless of this improvement, nonwhite students continue to face challenges. A study termed “Multicultural Student Group Work in Higher Education” by Popov et al. (2012) looked at some of these challenges. The scholars explored the disparities between students from various cultural backgrounds and how they interpret the significance of the inherent difficulties within multicultural student group work. To be effective, Popov et al. (2012) utilized a survey which included 141 university students. The challenges identified were examined using scales that concentrated on cross-cutting issues and cultural problems in multicultural group work. The research identified poor English language skills and poor communication as challenges facing students from nonwhite cultures. More significantly, the researchers found that students’ cultural affiliations influence their understanding of the significance of multicultural student group work challenges.

Popov et al. (2012) looked at the challenges facing students in multicultural student group work. Other scholars looked at how these challenges can help students develop intercultural skills. “Developing Intercultural Competence in Multilingual and Multicultural Student Group” by Krajewski (2011) is an excellent example in this case. Krajewski’s article concentrates on enhancing intercultural skills within mixed students” groups. His article provides a case study focusing on developing intercultural skills through a challenge that calls for experience-based, self-directed learning. The author also utilized surveys and concluded that students’ initial intercultural attitudes and students’ personal attitude towards these experiences influence what they learn during their studies. Likewise, Krajewski (2011) utilized assessments that were based on students’ surveys. The survey results showed how students rate the effectiveness of this unique task relative to other, more conventional, measuring tasks such as essay writing.

Diversity as an Idea Not Practice

Rather than focusing on the challenges faced by nonwhite students, other scholars choose to focus on the reasons why diversity is an accepted concept in higher education. Berrey’s (2011) “Why Diversity Became Orthodox in Higher Education, and How It Changed the Meaning of Race on Campus” is one particular article that studies why diversity is accepted in United States universities. Employing qualitative data from 1965 to 2005 from the University of Michigan, the author demonstrates how universities’ diversity discourse and programs describe the race as a cultural heritage.

Berrey (2011) also explains three key reasons why universities embrace the racial doctrine of diversity. First, he notes that most universities embrace the concept of diversity to signal compliance with institutional norms, while in the real sense, they still practice race-based affirmative admission. Secondly, he notes that most universities embrace this concept to frame inclusion in more complex terms than racial binary. Lastly, Berrey (2011) states that universities embrace diversity as a marketing initiative; to market their universities, especially to white students. More significantly, the author utilizes the racial formation theory by developing then racial orthodox and concludes that diversity debates and programs advance racial diversity inclusion. However, this is done at the risk of downplaying ethnic disparity issues and misrepresenting racial minorities in university interactions.

Conclusion

Popov et al. (2012) and Krajewski (2011) studied the challenges faced by nonwhite students in higher education centers. While these articles differ in numerous aspects, they conclude that students’ cultural affiliation influences their perceptions and understanding of multicultural student group work challenges. I agree with this conclusion as a student’s cultural or national background can impact their responsiveness in group interactions. Mostly students with similar cultural preferences tend to interact positively than those from diverse cultural backgrounds. I also agree with Berrey’s conclusion that many universities promote the idea that they are diverse, while, in the real sense, they employ racially biased practices.

References

Berrey, E. (2011). Why diversity became orthodox in higher education, and how it changed the meaning of race on campus. Critical Sociology, 37(5), 573-596. https://doi.org/10.1177/0896920510380069

Black Students in the Condition of Education 2020. (2020). Retrieved 21 October 2020, from https://www.nsba.org/Perspectives/2020/black-students-condition-education#:~:text=Of%20the%2016.6%20million%20undergraduate,2018%2C%202.1%20million%20were%20Black

Castro, A. (2010). Themes in the research on preservice teachers’ views of cultural diversity. Educational Researcher, 39(3), 198-210. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189×10363819

Krajewski, S. (2011). Developing intercultural competence in multilingual and multicultural student groups. Journal of Research in International Education, 10(2), 137-153. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475240911408563

Popov, V., Brinkman, D., Biemans, H., Mulder, M., Kuznetsov, A., & Noroozi, O. (2012). Multicultural student group work in higher education. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 36(2), 302-317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.09.004