Breaking Down Walls and Building Bridges: A Study of Cross-Racial Interactions across Two Predominantly White Campuses

Abstract

We examined predictors of self-reported cross-racial interactions (CRIs) by exploring ego networks for 355 Black and White undergraduates at two predominantly White institutions (PWIs). One PWI was 67% White, and the otherPWI was only 50% White. Institution, 1st year status, and racial homogeneity of student network were significant predictors of CRI. Students at the less structurally diverse university (that was 67% White) reported fewer CRIs;students with racially homogeneous networks (i.e., where all alters/connections were the same race as each other) also reported fewer CRIs. In contrast, 1st yearstudents reported a higher number of CRIs. Network homophily (i.e., where alters/connections in a network were all the same race as ego--the student himor herself) did not significantly predict CRIs, and neither did parent education or ego’s (i.e., the students’) race or gender. There was one significant difference by race; however, a higher percentage of White students had racially homogeneous networks. The importance of structural, interactional, and curricular diversity in higher education is discussed.