Confronting the role of diversity at Penn

While several universities including Penn emphasize their commitment to diversity, the reality of its impact on student life may be different than expected for some.

A recent study published by sociology journal Group Processes and Intergroup Relations found that the larger and more diverse a campus is, the less diverse most students’ group of friends is.

“As the variety of choices go up, people can find even more similar others,” said Christian Crandall — an author of the study and Psychology professor at the University of Kansas — to The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The findings may have some explanatory power over social dynamics on a campus as diverse as Penn.

Penn is home to multiple cultural and religious student groups — including Hillel, the Black Student League, Penn Students for Christ, the Pan-Asian American Community House, Muslim Students Association and United Minorities Council, just to name a few. The University hosts more than 10,000 students from around the world, with the Class of 2015 alone representing 66 countries.

In general, “it’s much easier to hang onto people of similar values and opinions. They don’t challenge you,” said Jeremy Hurewitz, Hillel Steering Committee finance chairman and Engineering junior.

He doesn’t believe that this applies to Penn’s campus, however. “At Penn, I think people like to be challenged.”

For Sociology professor Grace Kao, the study’s findings can plausibly be applied to Penn and may explain gravitation between students of a similar culture.

“They may have been the only ‘Asian’ kid in their high school, and Penn may be the first time that there are other Asians. In contrast, an African American student who went to a school that was mostly black may suddenly feel out of place at Penn, where the number of African American students is modest,” Kao wrote in an email.

In Black Student League President and College senior George Hardy’s experience, students from the first category Kao mentioned tend to be the “outliers” — they don’t gravitate as much toward people from the same background at the start of freshman year, and instead immediately befriend students of multiple backgrounds.

Having cultural groups allows for students to have more resources at their fingertips. Hardy said he feels more comfortable asking for help from black alumni and students because they tend to have experienced similar struggles and can relate with him more easily.

“Racial and ethnic minorities can feel isolated,” Kao wrote. “I think students enjoy a comfortable space where they are not constantly reminded of their minority status.”

Hardy shares the sentiment. For him, BSL has been a home away from home. “I think the goal [of cultural student groups] is to make people of that demographic more comfortable and to foster a safe space.”

UMC Chairman and College junior Chris Cruz believes that there’s so much diversity at Penn that “you can feel like you don’t belong.”

Exclusivity

Cultural and religious groups on campus can be exclusive, creating a social barrier. “By definition, being in a homogenous group forces you to have a less diverse group of friends,” Hurewitz said.

Both Hurewitz and Hardy said groups are required to collaborate with other cultural and religious groups to receive University funding. However, Hurewitz said such collaborations are not very common.

So far this semester, “I haven’t seen [BSL’s] collaboration yet,” Hardy said. He described how there was a Pan-African group, a Caribbean group, a Haitian group, etc. “We’re fragmented more than you’d expect.”

Cruz admits that expanding your horizons is important in college. But he thinks it’s also important to be near people of similar backgrounds. “It’s important to college experience.”

Some of Penn’s newer students — not attached to minority groups — have seen some diversity within their social circles at Penn.

Wharton freshman Martin Schneck said his personal group of friends is “more diverse that it was in high school.”

Though he sees identity cliques forming, “the groups are really diverse.”

College freshman Lizzy Britton sees less integration of minorities, however. Though “there are definitely groups that will mix,” she believes only about half do, adding that her own group of friends is diverse “to some extent.”

Coming Together

While BSL holds a special place for Hardy, he has many friends outside the group, all from different backgrounds. He tends to meet them in class and at academically-based extra-curricular activities.

“In the academics, we make our diverse friends,” he said.

Hurewitz believes Penn students make an effort to make diverse friends. He also said having a core social group, such as the one he has through Hillel, gives students the courage and ease to befriend people outside that group.

However, Wharton sophomore Esther Huang, a former member of Pan-Asian American Community House, believes the opposite to be true.

After freshman year, “you naturally seek out those who are similar,” she said.

Even in a homogenous group, there can still be some deviation.

Engineering junior Margaret Wang, who recently joined Penn Students for Christ, agreed. “Even in the same faith, we can come to different conclusions. There’s diversity within our thinking styles. I learn a lot.”

But in the end, Huang explained, it’s not the groups themselves that polarize people of different backgrounds.

“Ultimately, it’s the student’s choice.”

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