Early Adolescents’ Peer Experiences with Ethnic Diversity in Middle School: Implications for Academic Outcomes

Journal of Youth and Adolescence

Volumn 47, Issue 1, 2018, Pages 194-206

  Lewis, Jakeem Amir ^a   Nishina, Adrienne ^a   Ramirez Hall, Alysha ^a   Cain, Shannon ^b   Bellmore, Amy ^c   Witkow, Melissa R ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA   (United States)

^b WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON   (United States)

Author keywords

Cross ethnic peers; Daily interactions; Diversity; Ethnicity; GPA; Middle school

Indexed keywords

ADOLESCENT; AVERSION; CHILD; ETHNICITY; EXPECTATION; FEMALE; GIRL; HISPANIC; HUMAN; HUMAN EXPERIMENT; MALE; MENTAL CAPACITY; MIDDLE SCHOOL; PEER GROUP; STUDENT; ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT; CAUCASIAN; ETHNIC GROUP; ETHNOLOGY; HUMAN RELATION; MINORITY GROUP; PSYCHOLOGY; SCHOOL; SOCIAL DISTANCE; UNITED STATES;

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE; CHILD; ETHNIC GROUPS; EUROPEAN CONTINENTAL ANCESTRY GROUP; FEMALE; HUMANS; INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS; MALE; MINORITY GROUPS; PEER GROUP; SCHOOLS; SOCIAL DISTANCE; UNITED STATES;

EID: 85019662070     PISSN: 00472891     EISSN: 15736601     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s10964-017-0697-1     Document Type: Article

References (51)

1. Antonio, A. L. (2004). The influence of friendship groups on intellectual self-confidence and educational aspirations in college. The Journal of Higher Education, 75(4), 446–471. doi:10.1353/jhe.2004.0019.
2. Benner, A. D., & Crosnoe, R. (2011). The racial/ethnic composition of elementary schools and young children’s academic and socioemotional functioning. American Educational Research Journal, 48(3), 621–646. doi:10.3102/0002831210384838.
3. Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child Development, 78(1), 246–263. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.00995.x.
4. Booker, K. C. (2006). School belonging and the African American adolescent: What do we know and where should we go? The High School Journal, 89(4), 1–7. doi:10.1353/hsj.2006.0005.
5. Bowman, N. A. (2013). How much diversity is enough? The curvilinear relationship between college diversity interactions and first-year student outcomes. Research in Higher Education, 54(8), 874–894. doi:10.1007/s11162-013-9300-0.
6. Carter, P. L. (2006). Straddling boundaries: Identity, culture, and school. Sociology of Education, 79, 304–328. doi:10.1177/003804070607900402. October.
7. Cappella, E., Kim, H. Y., Neal, J. W., & Jackson, D. R. (2013). Classroom peer relationships and behavioral engagement in elementary school: The role of social network equity. American Journal of Community Psychology, 52(3–4), 367–379. doi:10.1007/s10464-013-9603-5.
8. Charmaraman, L., & Grossman, J. M. (2010). Importance of race and ethnicity: An exploration of Asian, Black, Latino, and multiracial adolescent identity. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16(2), 144–151. doi:10.1037/a0018668.
9. Crosnoe, R., Cavanagh, S., & Elder, G. H. (2003). Adolescent friendships as academic resources: The intersection of friendship, race, and school disadvantage. Sociological Perspectives, 46(3), 331–352. doi:10.1525/sop.2003.46.3.331.
10. Debnam, K. J., Johnson, S. L., Waasdorp, T. E., & Bradshaw, C. P. (2014). Equity, connection, and engagement in the school context to promote positive youth development. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 24(3), 447–459. doi.org/10.1111/jora.12083.
11. De Laet, S., Colpin, H., Vervoort, E., Doumen, S., Van Leeuwen, K., Goossens, L., & Verschueren, K. (2015). Developmental trajectories of children’s behavioral engagement in late elementary school: Both teachers and peers matter. Developmental Psychology, 51(9), 1292–1306. doi:10.1037/a0039478.
12. Eccles, J. S., & Roeser, R. W. (2009). Schools, academic motivation, and stage-environment fit. In R. M. Lerner & L. Steinberg (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 404–434). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
13. Eccles, J. S., & Roeser, R. W. (2011). Schools as developmental contexts during adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(1), 225–241. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00725.x.
14. Entwisle, D. R. (1993). Entry into school: The beginning school transition and educational stratification in the United States. Annual Review of Sociology, 19, 401–423.
15. Furrer, C., & Skinner, E. (2003). Sense of relatedness as a factor in children’s academic engagement and performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(1), 148–162. doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.95.1.148.
16. Gaither, S. E. (2015). “Mixed” results: Multiracial research and identity explorations. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24(2), 114–119. doi:10.1177/0963721414558115.
17. Goza, F., & Ryabov, I. (2009). Adolescents’ educational outcomes: Racial and ethnic variations in peer network importance. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 38(9), 1264–1279. doi:10.1007/s10964-009-9418-8.
18. Graham, S., Munniksma, A., & Juvonen, J. (2014). Psychosocial benefits of cross-ethnic friendships in urban middle schools. Child Development, 85(2), 469–483. doi:10.1111/cdev.12159.
19. Gurin, P., Dey, E. L., Hurtado, S., & Gurin, G. (2002). Diversity and higher education: Theory and impact on educational outcomes. Harvard Educational Review, 72(3), 330–366.
20. Hallinan, M. T., & Williams, R. A. (1989). Interracial friendship choices in secondary schools. American Sociological Review, 54(1), 67 doi.org/10.2307/2095662.
21. Hamm, J. V., Bradford Brown, B., & Heck, D. J. (2005). Bridging the ethnic divide: Student and school characteristics in African American, Asian-descent, Latino, and White adolescents’ cross-ethnic friend nominations. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 15(1), 21–46. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2005.00085.x.
22. Hartup, W. W., & Stevens, N. (1999). Friendships and adaptation across the life span. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8(3), 76–79. doi:10.1111/1467-8721.00018.
23. Joyner, K., & Kao, G. (2000). School racial composition and adolescent racial homophily. Social Science Quarterly, 81(3), 810–825.
24. Juvonen, J., Nishina, A., & Graham, S. (2006). Ethnic diversity and perceptions of safety in urban middle schools. Psychological Science, 17(5), 393–400. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01718.x.
25. Kao, G., & Thompson, J. S. (2003). Racial and ethnic stratification in educational achievement and attainment. Annual Review of Sociology, 29(1), 417–442. doi:10.1146/annurev.soc.29.010202.100019.
26. Kawabata, Y., & Crick, N. R. (2008). The role of cross-racial/ethnic friendships in social adjustment. Developmental Psychology, 44(4), 1177–1183. doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.44.4.1177.
27. Kawabata, Y., & Crick, N. R. (2015). Direct and interactive links between cross-ethnic friendships and peer rejection, internalizing symptoms, and academic engagement among ethnically diverse children. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 21(2), 191–200.
28. Kiang, L., Gonzales-Backen, M., Yip, T., Witkow, M., & Fuligni, A. J. (2006). Ethnic identity and the daily psychological well-being of adolescents from Mexican and Chinese backgrounds. Child Development, 77(5), 1338–1350. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00938.x.
29. Kurlaender, M., & Yun, J. T. (2007). Measuring school racial composition and student outcomes in a multiracial society. American Journal of Education, 113(2), 213–242. doi:10.1086/510166.
30. Lazarides, R., & Watt, H. M. G. (2015). Girls’ and boys’ perceived mathematics teacher beliefs, classroom learning environments and mathematical career intentions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 41, 51–61. doi:10.1016/j.cedpsych.2014.11.005.
31. Lowe, M. R., Byron, R. A., Ferry, G., & Garcia, M. (2013). Food for thought: Frequent interracial dining experiences as a predictor of students’ racial climate perceptions. The Journal of Higher Education, 84(4), 569–600. doi:10.1353/jhe.2013.0023.
32. McGill, R. K., Way, N., & Hughes, D. (2012). Intra- and interracial best friendships during middle school: Links to social and emotional well-being. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 22(4), 722–738. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2012.00826.x.
33. Murdock, T., Anderman, L., & Hodge, S. (2000). Middle-grade predictors of students motivation and behavior in high school. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15(3), 327 doi:10.1177/0743558400153002.
34. Neblett, E. W., Rivas-Drake, D., & Umaña-Taylor, A. J. (2012). The promise of racial and ethnic protective factors in promoting ethnic minority youth development. Child Development Perspectives, 6(3), 295–303. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2012.00239.x.
35. Newgent, R. A., Lee, S. M., & Daniel, A. F. (2010). Interracial best friendships: Relationship with 10th graders’ academic achievement level. Professional School Counseling, 11(2), 98–104. doi:10.5330/PSC.n.2010-11.98.
36. Nishina, A. (2012). Microcontextual characteristics of peer victimization experiences and adolescents’ daily well-being. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41(2), 191–201. doi:10.1007/s10964-011-9669-z.
37. Nishina, A., & Juvonen, J. (2005). Daily reports of witnessing and experiencing peer harassment in middle school. Child Development, 76(2), 435–450. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2005.00855.x.
38. Pearl, R., Leung, M. C., Acker, R., Van, Farmer, T. W., & Philip, C. (2007). Grade teachers’ awareness of their classrooms’ social networks. The Elementary School Journal, 108(1), 25–39. doi:10.1086/522384.
39. Regnerus, M. D. (2003). Religion and positive adolescent outcomes: A review of research and theory. Review of Religious Research, 44(4), 394–413.
40. Schofield, J. W., & Hausmann, L. R. M. (2004). School desegregation and social science research. The American Psychologist, 59(6), 538–546. doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.59.6.538.
41. Seiffge-Krenke, I. (2011). Coping with relationship stressors: A decade review. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(1), 196–210. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00723.x.
42. Simpson, E. H. (1949). Measurement of diversity. Nature, 163, 688.
43. Stanton-Salazar, R. D. (2005). Adolescent peer networks as a context for social and emotional support. Youth & Society, 36(4), 379–417. doi:10.1177/0044118X04267814.
44. Stefanek, E., Strohmeier, D., & van de Schoot, R. (2015). Individual and class room predictors of same-cultural friendship preferences in multicultural schools. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 39(3), 255–265. doi.org/10.1177/0165025414538556.
45. Tam, M. Y. S., & Bassett, Jr, G. W. (2004). Does diversity matter? Measuring the impact of high school diversity on freshman GPA. The Policy Studies Journal, 32(1), 129–143.
46. Tenenbaum, H. R., & Ruck, M. D. (2007). Are teachers’ expectations different for racial minority than for European American students? A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(2), 253–273. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.99.2.253.
47. Tolman, D. L., & McClelland, S. I. (2011). Normative sexuality development in adolescence: A decade in review, 2000–2009. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(1), 242–255. doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00726.x.
48. U.S. Census Bureau (2015). National Population Projections. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/demo/p25-1143.pdf.
49. Wolsko, C., Park, B., & Judd, C. M. (2006). Considering the tower of babel: Correlates of assimilation and multiculturalism among ethnic minority and majority groups in the United States. Social Justice Research, 19(3), 277–306. doi:10.1007/s11211-006-0014-8.
50. Yip, T., & Fuligni, A. J. (2002). Daily variation in ethnic identity, ethnic behaviors, and psychological well-being among American adolescents of Chinese descent. Child Development, 73(5), 1557–1572.
51. Yip, T., Seaton, E. K., & Sellers, R. M. (2010). Interracial and intraracial contact, school-level diversity, and change in racial identity status among African American adolescents. Child Development, 81(5), 1431–1444.