A need to belong: the impact of institutional diversity ideologies on university students’ belonging and interracial interactions

This study investigated the impact of diversity ideologies (i.e., colorblindness vs. multiculturalism) on students’ sense of belonging (SOB) to the university and comfort with interracial interactions, and the moderating effects of racial/ethnic identity and group membership. White students (n = 234) and students of color (n = 111) from a predominantly white institution (PWI) were primed with either a colorblind or multicultural approach to improving campus race relations. Attitudes towards interracial interactions, racial/ethnic centrality, and SOB were assessed.Overall, White students reported a greater SOB than students of color. Results did not reveal a significant effect of diversity approaches or racial/ethnic identity on SOB, but both were associated with students’ comfort with interracial interactions. Students primed with multiculturalism reported greater comfort with interracial interactions, and students who considered race to be important to their self-concept reported less comfort with interracial interactions. A significant ideology × racial/ethnic identity interaction further revealed that exposure to messaging around multiculturalism eliminated the negative association between students’ racial/ethnic identity and comfort with interactions. Implications for campus diversity and inclusion initiatives are discussed.