An Argument for Diversity in Roommates With Whom You Rent

An Argument for Diversity in Roommates With Whom You Rent

12/17/2013 11:30:00 pm
By Pete Markakis
Expert Author Pete Markakis
Impact of Diversity
Diversity has been shown to have several pronounced effects on behavior in Caucasians paired with dissimilar roommates, and it can only be assumed that comparable results occur when people of other backgrounds experience variability in those they rent with. Even those living with someone of a different ethnic background for as little as half a year display fewer signs of social anxiety and are more willing to engage in collaborative activity with those that are different than themselves. This can have a pronounced effect on occupational success due to the fact that variability is a common feature of all modern organizations.
Natural Resistance to Diversity
While diversity is held up as a great resource, the resistance to social mixing that it entails is entirely natural. Humans automatically group individuals according to proximity in education, language, religion, and skin hue, among others. This need to mentally separate people is referred to as the minimal group paradigm and the tendency has been known since the term was coined by Henri Tafjel in the 70s. This delineation of others into separate in- and out-groups results in a phenomenon referred to as in-group bias, a cognitive bias that can get in the way of rational thought.
Diversity in Problem Solving
Diversity has been held out in recent decades as one of the most effective tools for solving problems. By including people of different life experiences in a team, differing perspectives and critical thinking methods can be leveraged, along with intergroup agreement, to come up with new solutions. These alternate perspectives drive innovation which is the primary catalyst in scientific and technological growth, the metric by which human progress is often measured. In fact, recent studies have shown that group dissimilarity is how to best achieve success can be a better predictor of problem solving accomplishment than even experience.
When college students are exposed to variability in the roommates they rent with, they benefit from not being burdened by biases that result from the minimal group paradigm. Preconceived notions that can get in the way of productive interaction in the workplace can be successfully eliminated. Simply renting a room with someone that is distinct from you can yield great benefit in your ability to look at others objectively. Given recent developments with roommate locators that allow consumers to custom tailor a roommate search to specifically wanted qualities, locating roommates that are different takes no more effort than finding people similar to you.
About the Author:
Pete Markakis, an experienced web developer and software engineer with a background in business applications, maintains a group of online referral sites. USA Roomies with an easy to use roommate search service that makes the hunt for obtaining a roommate painless is an ideal way to screen living arrangements before you commit. Additionally, the roommate referral service that is provided has been designed with security in mind with identity verification being a central theme. USA Roomies' Blog is an informative blog about roommate topics and gives knowledgeable guidance in obtaining and living with roommates.

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