Factors that theory and research in social psychology suggest are important in structuring racially and ethnically mixed environments in ways that foster positive relations and minimize negative relations are reviewed. It is important to avoid resegregation, but avoiding resegregation is not enough in itself. Policies and practices must be…

The amount and type of peer interaction occurring in four racially mixed eighth grade classrooms were studied. Observational data were collected on the peer-directed behaviors of 69 white children and 32 black children weekly during one semester. The race and sex of the person to whom each behavior was directed were recorded as were the affective…

What do we know about education and diversity, and how do we know it? This two-part question guided the work of the Multicultural Education Consensus Panel, which included the eight scholars named above. The panel's work was sponsored by the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Washington and the Common Destiny Alliance at the…

The widespread concern about the impact of school desegregation and the controversy over what its effect might be have resulted in a substantial body of research. This review focuses on the impact on students themselves, presenting some conclusions that have emerged and discussing some methodological problems inherent in the assessment of the…

An intensive study of one desegregated school, located in a large northeastern industrial city, specifically sought to investigate peer interactions among sixth- and seventh-grade students in a racially mixed school. The basic data-gathering strategy involved observations conducted in classrooms, hallways, playgrounds, and the cafeteria. Observers…