#176: The Challenges with Affirmative Action, Professor Peter Arcidiacono

Despite the benefits of Affirmative Action as told by Professor Harry Holzer, there also exists many challenges when the policy framework is deployed in College and University admissions. While the intention of admitting students from different backgrounds may be noble, by building a more diverse student body - are schools providing the necessary supports for students to succeed? And if not, could this indirectly be exacerbating the divide between students of different backgrounds?

I invited Professor Peter Arcidiacono on to discuss further. Professor Arcidiacono's work has focused on noting friendship formations based both on race and academic backgrounds. The findings were fascinating. Could Affirmative Action policies be building a diverse student body and increasing segregation amongst students?

Who is Professor Peter Arcidiacono?

Peter Arcidiacono is a professor of economics at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, United States. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, San Diego, in 1994. His research interests are in the areas of labor economics, education, and applied econometrics.

Arcidiacono has conducted extensive research on the economics of education, including studies on college admissions, the impact of affirmative action policies on college admissions and student outcomes, and the effects of peer influences on academic performance. He is also known for his work on the economics of the labor market, including studies on the effects of minimum wage policies on employment and earnings.

In addition to his academic work, Arcidiacono is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and has served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Labor, and other organizations.

Do Affirmative Action Policies Lead to Cross-Racial Friendships on Campus?

Research has shown that students tend to form friendships with peers who have similar academic backgrounds, interests, and goals. For example, students who are enrolled in the same major or who share similar academic interests are more likely to form friendships than students who are not.

In addition, students' academic backgrounds can also influence their social networks outside of the classroom. For example, students who are involved in extracurricular activities such as clubs or sports teams may form friendships with peers who share their interests, regardless of their academic background.

It is also worth noting that students' academic backgrounds may be related to their socioeconomic status, which can in turn influence their social networks on campus. Research has shown that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds may be less likely to form friendships with peers from higher socioeconomic backgrounds due to differences in social and cultural capital.

The impact of affirmative action policies on student segregation on campus is a complex issue that has been debated among scholars and policymakers. While some argue that affirmative action policies can lead to greater student segregation on campus, others argue that these policies can help promote diversity and integration.

On one hand, opponents of affirmative action policies argue that these policies can lead to greater segregation on campus by creating separate tracks for students of different races or ethnicities. For example, some argue that affirmative action policies may lead to the creation of separate dormitories, clubs, or organizations for students from underrepresented groups, which could further segregate students on campus.