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Abstract
This study explores college students’ reactions to engaging in experiences with diverse others that students found uncomfortable, interactions that disrupted students’ current beliefs or values. Our examination of these experiences was grounded in theory and research on intergroup contact and anxiety and developmental models of self-authorship leading to intercultural maturity. We found three types of reactions to these experiences: Some students were “stuck,” unsure of how to respond; some were prone to continue exploring; and some reframed their perspectives to reflect capacities associated with advanced intercultural maturity. We offer recommendations for managing intergroup anxiety and scaffolding learning to support reframing one's perspectives to maximize learning from engaging in difference.
Acknowledgments
An earlier version of this paper was presented at the AACU Diversity Conference, “Diversity, Learning, and Inclusive Excellence: Accelerating and Assessing Progress,” October 18, 2008, Long Beach, California. The authors gratefully acknowledge the Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts at Wabash College for its support of this project.
Notes
1. Due to the longitudinal nature of this study, these methods have appeared in prior publications.
2. This group includes international students.
3. For additional details about the composition of the sample, see Description of Research Methods and Sample, Years 1, 2, and 3, Interview Portion, Wabash National Study: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/liberalartstudy.
4. We use intersectionalities to refer to experiences that challenged students to make sense of the interconnections involving multiple social identities, such as with race and class taken together.
5. Names are pseudonyms selected by the participants.
6. We retain the participant's language here in the interest of trustworthiness and conveying his meaning, but do not condone the use of derogatory language.