Psychosocial Benefits of Ethnic Diversity in Urban Middle Schools

描述(申请人提供)：这项研究的目的是检验一套关于城市中学种族/民族多样性的心理社会效益的相互关联的假设。研究假设，更大的多样性可以通过三种中介机制有利于学生的心理健康、群体间态度和学校适应：(1)减少感知的脆弱性；(2)形成和维持跨种族友谊；(3)发展复杂的社会认同。这些调解机制在目标1-3中进行了研究。目的4探讨学生个体特征和学校结构特征的调节作用，例如可能限制学生交往机会的学业跟踪。这四个目标中概述的假设将在一项为期3年的纵向研究中进行检验，研究对象是大约7200名六年级学生，他们进入加利福尼亚州南部或北部的24所城市中学之一。大样本将是种族多样化的，包括拉丁裔、非裔美国人、亚洲人、太平洋岛民、白人和多种族学生。这些学生就读的24所中学将经过精心挑选，以适应不同的种族/民族构成和多样性水平。关于学生感知的脆弱性、跨种族友谊和社会认同以及心理健康、群体间态度和学校适应结果的数据将在6年级的秋季和春季以及7年级和8年级的春季收集，总共收集了四波数据。将使用结构方程建模和多水平建模来跟踪这些相互关联的变量随时间的增长和变化。通过研究成功适应的途径，这项研究的首要目标是检查在什么条件下，更大的学校种族多样性可以缓冲青春期早期的许多规范性挑战。该项目的调查结果将对学校种族多样性作为心理社会保护因素的作用以及作为一个多方面和动态结构的种族多样性的意义提供新的见解。从社会政策的角度来看，这一结果也有助于讨论在我国城市公立学校实现更大种族/民族多样性的法律选择。 公共卫生相关性：这项研究的目的是检查在什么条件下，中学更大的种族/民族多样性可以缓冲青春期早期的许多规范性挑战。重点将放在种族多样性如何有助于改善心理健康，对来自其他种族/民族的同龄人更积极的态度，以及所有学生更好的学业成绩。调查结果将为学校种族多样性作为心理社会保护因素的作用以及种族/民族多样性作为一个多方面和动态的结构的意义提供新的见解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this research is 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, intergroup attitudes, and school adaptation via three mediating mechanisms: (1) decreases in perceived vulnerability; (2) the formation and maintenance of cross-ethnic friendships; and (3) the development of complex social identities. These mediating mechanisms are examined in Aims 1-3. Aim 4 explores the moderating influences of individual student characteristics and school structural characteristics such as academic tracking that may limit the mixing opportunities of students. The hypotheses outlined in the four aims will be examined in a 3-year longitudinal study of approximately 7200 6th grade students as they enter one of 24 urban middle schools in southern or northern California. The large sample will be ethnically diverse, comprised of Latino, African American, Asian, Pacific Islander, White, and multi-ethnic students. The 24 middle schools that these students attend will be carefully selected to vary in racial/ethnic composition and level of diversity. Data on students' perceived vulnerability, cross-ethnic friendships, and social identities as well as the outcomes of mental health, intergroup attitudes, and school adaptation will be gathered in Fall and Spring of 6th grade and in Spring of 7th and 8th grade, for a total of four waves of data. Structural equation modeling and multilevel modeling will be used to track growth and change in these interrelated variables over time. By studying pathways to successful adaptation, the overarching goal of the research is to examine the conditions under which greater school ethnic diversity can buffer many of the normative challenges of early adolescence. Findings from the project will provide new insights into the role of school ethnic diversity as a psychosocial protective factor and into the meaning of ethnic diversity as a multi-faceted and dynamic construct. From a social policy perspective, the results can also contribute to the discourse on legal options for achieving greater racial/ethnic diversity in our nation's urban public schools. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The purpose of this research is to examine the conditions under which greater racial/ethnic diversity in middle school can buffer many of the normative challenges of early adolescence. The focus will be on the ways in which ethnic diversity can contribute to improved mental health, more positives attitudes about peers from other racial/ethnic groups, and better school outcomes for all students. Findings will offer new insights into the role of school ethnic diversity as a psychosocial protective factor and into the meaning of racial/ethnic diversity as a multi-faceted and dynamic construct.