We have heard gory tales of racism and cringe every time someone we know suffers it. It is like the inevitable phenomenon that has to occur. Prejudices are difficult to get rid of and they are like habits that die hard.
But the Ohio State University has come up with a new plan. They feel that if students from different races live together, it will help break the ice and hence the racial prejudice. For example, a student, Sam Boakye who studies at the University, is the only black student on his dorm floor. He shares his room with a white boy. According to Sam, he has to work doubly hard and prove himself time and again, so that there is not much reason for his white male colleagues to make fun of his or stereotype him. He doesn’t want them to say that just because he is black, he cannot excel or grasp difficult things. He always wants to make sure that his white roommate will have no negative racial comments about him to make.
This is not the first case. Many studies done at the university have stated that such combinations have resulted into less racial disparities and have developed in to diversified friendships. It even helps the black students or student from minority groups to do well in their academics. But if there is some more research done, then the answers say something else. Some state that such relationships that are between black and white students, are more stressful and may go sour faster than same-race friendships or pairing.
But the university has a diverse atmosphere and therefore, this is happening too commonly here. Mostly social scientists who study student behavior are looking for insights into inter-racial relationships.It is like a natural experiment which is being carried out when such students are asked to live together. Such experiments are given to students too, who have to live with colleagues from different races.
But research by Professor Fazio at the Ohio State University Psychology department, states that they discovered that black students who shared their room with white students and who had good grades, fared even much better in exams. This was the case irrespective of the fact that the white roommates scores were low.
If this seems to be the case then it is beneficial for the black students. However, problems can emerge. Whatever we might say or state black students and white students and other minority groups do come from very different background. Their lifestyles are different and so is the culture. If one is really tolerant and really makes an effort, the living in the same room will be fine.But even small/ minor things can cause issues which might lead to intolerance. Sometimes it also happens that we have prejudices against other races and this may raise issues too. however, if living together might reduce problems, then students should try it out. We still don’t know, when the whole topic of racism will be evacuated like polio!