You stick with your kind and I'll stick with mine because, statistically speaking, benefiting from diversity is a load of bull.
According to a new study by William Swann, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, people get along better in group settings with other people who are similar to them.
Sororities and fraternities are perfect examples of this because, by the nature of the organizations, members purposefully surround themselves with people like them. Maybe we should all give up our personal identities and strive for this sort of homogeneity.
But these days, that (fortunately) is not an option.
So whether we like it or not, we will encounter people of other cultures. The question is: How do we get along with them?
In the UT Austin news release of his study, Swann said, "Diversity in the workplace can undermine performance unless specific emphasis is placed on individual personality differences."
This brings to mind some interesting experiences that I have had from working in groups. Have you ever been part of a group or class project and you just couldn't stand the person sitting next to you? You'd rather put in the 30 hours of work to complete the project on your own, rather than listen to one more word come out of that person's mouth.
Okay, maybe I'm alone here, but it is hard to work in groups.
More and more, instructors are requiring group work because employers look for group compatibility when selecting potential employees.
But according to the study, it's no use to learn how to work in groups if we can't appreciate the individuals in our group for who they are.
Part of the concept of group work entails thinking in terms of how things affect the group as a whole, while relegating personal preferences and needs to a lower priority level. But how can anything good come from ignoring the characteristics that make us individuals and open up the doors to creativity and distinct ways of solving problems?
Diversity for the sake of diversity just won't cut it anymore. "It's not enough for people to know who you are demographically, we need to see group members as individuals," Swann said.
In other words, the number of different ethnic backgrounds represented in your accounting class is meaningless unless you strive to learn about each of those individuals on a deep level.
And even if we like to be around people like us, we can't spend the rest of our lives shutting out the rest of real world-eventually, all (or most) of us will graduate.
To prepare us for encountering such real-world diversity, ASU requires that every student take one "cultural diversity" course in order to graduate. ASU Residential Life mandates that each RA and hall coordinator plan one diversity-related activity each semester.
But is that enough?
Granted, these courses provide valuable insight and scholarship on the contributions of minority groups in categories such as Women's Studies, Chicano/Chicana Studies, African-American Studies and race and gender issues. The ASU General Catalog says that one three-credit hour cultural diversity requirement will "help students to achieve greater mutual understanding and respect."
But a single course can't do that; no coursework or residence hall activity stands in for the type of meaningful interpersonal diversity Swann found missing from group work. Just because I take a course in African-American literature to fulfill my graduation requirement doesn't mean I've become an expert on the African-American experience.
Diversity is a vital part of our cultural lives, but a minimal course requirement and required "diversity" activities planned by Residential Life are inadequate attempts to connect people and cultures.
In the end, it's up students to make sure they not only follow all required course guidelines in order to graduate, but also go beyond that by taking additional courses. By embracing other cultures, we come to better know each other and work together.
Catherine Portillo is a journalism junior. Reach her at catherine.portillo@asu.edu.
