With the assistance of the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, and the Spencer Foundation, Dr. Sandra Graham in the Department of Education and Dr. Jaana Juvonen in the Department of Psychology are conducting a longitudinal study to test a set of interrelated hypotheses about the psychosocial benefits of racial/ethnic diversity in urban middle schools. It is hypothesized that greater diversity can benefit students’ mental health, racist intergroup attitudes, and school adaptation via three mechanisms: (1) decreased perceived vulnerability, (2) the formation and maintenance of cross-ethnic friendships, and (3) the development of complex social identities.

 

The influence of school structural characteristics such as academic tracking that may limit the mixing opportunities of students are also explored. These hypotheses are being examined in a longitudinal study of approximately 6,000 students from their entry as 6th graders into one of the 26 urban middle schools in southern and northern California through one year after high school. The Middle School Diversity study is comprised of 4 waves of data for 6th-8th grades, followed by an additional 5 waves of data for high school and one year after. This represents a labor-intensive project, but also provides many training opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students. Please feel free to learn more about the study as well as contact us about any questions, comments, or concerns. In addition, we encourage you to meet the researchers and staff who are involved with this project.

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