Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Human Diversity At Kennedy King College Fall 2012 Prepared by Robert Rollings, spring 2014 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY 1 Human Diversity is defined by distinctions including.. Age Citizenship Education Ethnicity Gender Health Language Marital status National origin Physical attributes Disabilities Race Religion Sexual orientation, Socio-economic status Veteran status Political beliefs …and many other differences in cultural expression and tradition. 2 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY Human Diversity In Fall 2012, Kennedy King College conducted an online survey to measure success in its general education goal of student understanding of and respect for human diversity. 751 students participated The objective of this report is to locate problem spots and possible methods by which KKC can improve its operations and outcomes with regard to Human Diversity. 3 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY Students overall perceive KKC as slightly less discriminatory than their previous experience. How often have you encountered discrimination based on your… (n=739) Never Occasionally Frequently Always Race/Ethnicity Gender Sexual Orientation Economic Background Before Enrolling at KKC Mean Response Religious Beliefs Age Primary Language Style of Dress Style of Communication Since Enrolling at KKC Mean Response Responses to these questions interpreted in isolation would also seem to indicate that overall student experience with discrimination is quite low. 4 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY This remained the case when minority group responses were isolated by pertinent kinds of discrimination How often have you encountered discrimination based on your… Never Occasionally Frequently Always Black students re. Race/Ethnicity (n=598) Non-Black (of which 59% Multiracial) re. Race/Ethnicity (n=69) Hispanic re. Men re. Gender Women re. Transgender re. LGB re. Sexual 40 Years & Older Race/Ethnicity (n=210) Gender (n=467) Gender (n=7) Orientation re. Age (n=138) (n=50) (n=63) Before Enrolling at KKC Mean Response Since Enrolling at KKC Mean Response The only exception was transgender students regarding gender discrimination. The College should have increasing non-traditional gender identities in the 21st century on its radar. 5 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY Average Responses to “How would you rate yourself in the following areas:” Major Strength Somewhat Strong Average Somewhat Weak Major Weakness KKC students overall rated themselves extremely highly in diversity and tolerance. However, nearly all of them described themselves as strong in everything! Math ability and knowledge about the cultural background of others were the only areas in which over 10% of students admitted any weakness. The survey did not query how students rated themselves in honest self-assessment. Self-description relates to experience in complicated ways. 6 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY Percent of Respondents who Agree THE SOCIAL SYSTEM PREVENTS PEOPLE OF COLOR FROM GETTING THEIR FAIR SHARE OF GOOD JOBS AND BETTER PAY. 70% OUR SOCIETY HAS DONE ENOUGH TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF DIFFERENT RACIAL AND/OR ETHNIC GROUPS. 29% MANY PEOPLE LACK AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT RACIAL AND/OR ETHNIC GROUPS FACE. 76% RACIAL AND/OR ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION IS NO LONGER A MAJOR PROBLEM IN THE UNITED STATES. 17% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% Students report only occasional discrimination on average, but they may have been interpreting that question to mean overt individual discrimination. An array of other responses suggest a clear conclusion: KKC students experience subtle and institutional discrimination as an everyday part of their lives. 7 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY Percent of Respondents who Agree IN MY ENCOUNTERS WITH KKC ‘S SERVICE DEPARTMENTS (THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE, REGISTRAR’S OFFICE, ADMISSION’S OFFICE, LIBRARY, SECURITY DESK, ETC.) I HAVE EXPERIENCED DISCRIMINATION BASED ON MY RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER, AGE OR VISIBLE DISABILITY. 35% I FEEL I NEED TO MINIMIZE VARIOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF MY RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER, AGE OR VISIBLE DISABILITY IN ORDER TO FIT IN. 38% AT KKC I FEEL THERE ARE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT MY ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE BECAUSE OF MY LANGUAGE, SOCIAL ECONOMIC STATUS, OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION. 46% AT KKC I FEEL THERE ARE EXPECTATIONS ABOUT MY ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE BECAUSE OF MY RACE, ETHNICITY, GENDER, AGE OR A VISIBLE DISABILITY. 56% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Over 1/2 feel there are expectations about their academic performance based on some aspect of their identity. Over 1/3 feel a need to minimize some unchangeable aspect of themselves to fit in. Over 1/3 and report discrimination from our own offices. 8 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY Our own categories of administration can be discriminatory or exclusionary in ways we do not intend Results from KKC Survey Official KKC Statistics from District Office Ethnicity White 3% Hispanic 4% Are you Hispanic/Latino? 89% Black Native Amer. 1% Asian 1% 0% 93% No Yes 7% Race 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Over 6% of survey respondents identified as multi-racial, but official CCC statistics only allow students to select one Race. Official CCC statistics make the choice of being Hispanic exclusive of being Black, White, or any other group. How do the limited options for ethnicity constrain and create identities for our students? Multi-racial White 6% 3% 90% Black Pac. Islander 0.00% Asian 0.40% Native Amer. 1% 9 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY Our own categories of administration can be discriminatory or exclusionary in ways we do not intend Official KKC Statistics from District Office Results from KKC Survey Gender Please Indicate Your Sex: Male Female Transgender 36% 64% Male Female Over 1% of survey respondents identified as transgendered rather than male or female, and more may have identified with other labels which have increased in visibility in recent decades had they been available on the survey. 1% 31% 68% However, such categories do not exist in current CCC statistics. Human Diversity survey results suggest that our data collection standards may be eliding certain minority groups from visibility. 10 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY How much interaction do you have with people in each of the following groups now? People who are substantially different in age than you 15% People for whom English is not their first language 40% International students or non-USA citizens 29% People with disabilities 30% Little to No Interaction 34% 25% 59% People with religious beliefs other than your own Lesbian / Gay / Bisexual / Transgender / Questioning 68% 17% 33% Some Regular Interaction 22% 18% 24% 25% 22% 48% 45% 45% Substantial/Regular Interaction Percent of Respondents who Agree or Strongly Agree Contact with individuals of cultures other than my own is valuable. I am open to developing friendships with people from cultures other than my own. There is a gulf between student openness to difference and actual experience with difference. 90% 91% How much interaction do you have with people in each of the following groups now? Multi-racial 31% White 27% Pacific Islander Black 26% 43% 29% 44% 79% 7% 7% Asian Native Amer. Little to No Interaction 11% 10% 86% 74% 13% 81% Some Regular Interaction 13% 9% 10% Substantial/Regular Interaction 7% of respondents reported little or no interaction with Black or African American people at KKC. Considering that only 10% of all respondents were non-Black, what does this say about racial interactions on campus? All or nearly all people of color How would you describe the racial and/or ethnic makeup of the following: [Average of Responses] Mostly people of color Half white & half people of color Mostly white All or nearly all white Neighborhood where you grew High school that you graduated Your friends before coming to up from KKC Your friends since coming to KKC The ethnic composition of where respondents grew up, where they went to high school, their friends before KKC, and their friends since coming to KKC remains staggeringly consistent. Each of these responses correlates directly with the other three with a p<.00000001 13 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY Students who report having had more hostile interactions with or felt threatened or insulted by persons from other ethnic or racial groups answered questions indicating that they are less comfortable and familiar with human diversity in general. More specifically, they are more likely to… …report little to no interaction with Blacks …report more frequent experience of discrimination based on all aspects of their identity …report more frequent discomfort with people of every axis of difference surveyed, including race, sexuality, religion, language, and age …believe that emphasizing diversity contributes to disunity on campus …express an inability to remain friends with someone who came out with a different sexuality …believe that women should not be taken as seriously as men in the classroom …believe that speaking languages other than English should not be encouraged in the U.S. …report that KKC students resent others diverse from themselves and that KKC does not promote respect for diversity …believe that discrimination based on diversity is no longer a problem in Chicago p<.01 for all correlations DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY 14 These same students report feeling pressured to participate in diversityrelated activities. Attempting to induce these students to attend such activities may thus be a poor strategy. These same students are also less likely to have ever participated in social clubs or other forms of students engagement. Although several causal interpretations are possible, it is reasonable to hypothesize that participating in clubs or any student activity will expose students to people different from themselves, and these experiences lead students to be more accepting and understanding of difference. DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY 15 Kennedy King College’s initiative toward student engagement may therefore be an initiative toward respect for diversity as well. Average Responses to “Indicate how frequently you engaged in each of the following before attending Kennedy-King College:” Participated in activities to clean up the environment Participated in an academic honor society Studied or worked with someone from a racial/ethnic group other than your own Engaged in volunteer work Participated in clubs Discussed racial and/or ethnic issues Discussed politics with peers Daily A few times per week A majority of students report participating in clubs or volunteer activities no more than a few times a year prior to enrolling at KKC. A third reported having never participated in clubs. Student engagement is a measurable variable around which actionable strategies can be formed. A few times per month A few times per year Never 16 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY Students who have completed more credit hours at Kennedy King College correlated with higher… …desire to learn about other groups, to teach about their own, and to bridge gaps among groups …enjoyment of classes that emphasize contributions from other cultures and agreement with the Human Diversity course requirement …time spent among a broader array of ethnic, religious, and age groups p<.05 for all correlations It is unclear to what extent students have become more attuned to issues of diversity by attending KKC and to what extent those hostile to diversity are less likely to continue their studies. However, we can forward the more optimistic proposition that students learn more tolerant attitudes at this college as a testable hypothesis, to be gauged by questions in the next Human Diversity survey. 17 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY Actionable Steps • Promote student engagement in activities among diverse groups in order to facilitate discussion and learning among them • Consider means by which to measure the gender, racial, and other categories which current metrics may elide from visibility • Determine strategies to decrease student perception of expectations put on them because of invidious distinctions Questions to Ask for the Next Study • Over 1/3 of respondents report discrimination from our offices; what kinds of discrimination are they experiencing, and what can we do about it? • Do experiences at KKC create measurable differences in attitudes toward diversity? • Do Human Diversity classes in specific create measurable differences in these attitudes? • Where prejudice exists, what causes or correlated factors can KKC identify and address through teaching or other institutional resources? 18 DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY What are Your Ideas? DRAFT - FOR DISCUSSION ONLY 19