ERIC Number: EJ1263825
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Jun
Pages: 29
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1941-3432
EISSN: N/A
Separate but Equal on College Campuses: A Case of "'Déjà Vu' All over Again"
Von Bergen, C. W.; Bressler, Martin S.; Whitlock, David W.
Research in Higher Education Journal, v38 Jun 2020
At many U.S. universities, the tendency to self-segregate has become a familiar and accepted occurrence, evident in a wide array of college settings including housing and social gatherings, classes and training events, protests, and grievance sessions, and even separate commencement events. In many ways, this trend represents a return to the "separate but equal" doctrine ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court in "Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka" (1954) as unconstitutional, which gave birth to the Civil Rights Movement and integration. This further resulted in numerous benefits related to cross-racial interaction and increased ethnic heterogeneity. Today, however, some college leaders endorse student petitions for "safe spaces" and separate, distinct programming based on various demographic characteristics and assert that such efforts enhance the college experience and create a greater sense of belonging for underrepresented student groups. Segregation appears to be re-emerging at many U.S. universities as an example of "déjà vu" all over again. In this paper, the authors argue that segregation of racial and ethnic groups on university and college campuses generally appear to exacerbate racial tensions and reinforce in-group and out-group interactions and biases. However, multicultural integration builds trust, reduces out-group biases, increases friendships across racial and ethnic lines, and advances racial reconciliation.
Descriptors: Higher Education, Universities, School Resegregation, Racial Segregation, Safety, Racial Bias, Racial Relations, Racial Integration, Trust (Psychology), Friendship, Racial Identification, Social Behavior, Desegregation Litigation, School Desegregation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Brown v Board of Education
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A