Let's stay together? Population-level diversity and within-group diversity

Are male or female interracial roommate relationships more likely to disband? We consider how interpersonal differences between male and female relationships could contribute to this decision, and how population-level diversity threatens within-group diversity. We report evidence from a natural experiment where incoming first-year students were randomly assigned to roommates and months later chose their own second-year roommates. We collected and analyzed 10 years of roommate choice data, a during a critical time period that coincides with an increase in representation from one minority population and a stable level of a second minority group in the population. Prior to the diversification, male (vs. female) interracial pairs exhibited lower rates of dissolution.  However, as diversity increased and only within the growing minority member group, male interracial pairs dissolved at increased rates, equal to female pairs. Implications for considering the diversity of the broader social context when examining dyadic-level choices are discussed. 

Zoom: https://eur-nl.zoom.us/j/94919313251?pwd=MG0xMFF4Ull0MEtOcDZVaVBMczdFdz09&from=msft

Meeting ID: 949 1931 3251

Password: 204056