Running head: MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS

Multicultural Environments
Jennifer Duncan
Georgia Southern University

MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS

On a Thursday afternoon around 1:30pm, I went to one of the food courts on the campus
of Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, GA. I took a seat at one of the tables by myself
and started to observe students sitting at the surrounding tables. There were noticeably a lot of
students sitting by themselves eating lunch and studying, whether it was reading a book or
laptop, or writing notes in a notebook. The few students that werent sitting by themselves were
paired up and studying, it didnt seem like anyone was there just to eat or just to socialize. I did
notice a pair of students that werent studying, two ladies that were actually eating and
interacting with each other and one male student on the phone talking while eating. Out of the
19 tables I could see, 12 tables had students that appeared to be studying. By 1:50pm it seemed
like a class had just let out because a rush of students crowded the area and got in line to eat
lunch.
After this brief observation I thought of Chickerings Seven Vectors of Student
Development, specifically looking at vectors one (achieving competence), four (developing
mature interpersonal relationships), and six (developing purpose). It was very apparent to me
that this group of students were going through Chickerings first vector and achieving
competence as the majority of students I observed were fully focused on their studies. I found it
interesting that they could have chosen to study in an environment that was more quiet yet they
chose to study in the food court, possibly because all of the study rooms in the library were
occupied or because they wanted to be close to food when it was time for a study break.
According to Chickering, the college years lead to increased competence in intellectual areas,
physical and manual skills, and interpersonal relations with both individuals and groups (Ernest
T. Pascarella & Patrick T. Terenzini, 2005). No doubt these students were increasing their
competence as they were on their laptops and jotting down notes from their textbooks.

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I believe these students were also moving through vector four, developing mature
interpersonal relationships, because when you have a common goal such as succeeding
academically, you begin to develop mature interpersonal relationships. For the few students that
I observed that werent sitting by themselves but paired up with another student studying, I could
only imagine that they may have had a group project to work on and that takes maturity to
become close with an individual in that capacity that you may not have otherwise spent a
significant amount of time with. Students interactions with peers provide powerful learning
experiences and help shape the sense of emerging self (Pascarella & Terenzini, p. 22). As I
observed the two female students who werent studying but actually eating and interacting with
each other I thought of them moving through this vector although I couldnt hear their
conversation it is an example of developing relationships.
According to Chickering and Reisser, expanding competencies and developing
interpersonal relationships require some sense of purpose (Pascarella & Terenzini, p. 22). This
leads me to the final vector that I believe these students were going through and that is the sixth
vector, developing purpose. Along with expanding their competencies and developing
relationships, I believe these students are developing their purpose as they navigate through
college. They all go to college with a main objective, which is to receive a degree, but along the
way they discover more during their journey. Some may start off in one major and realize they
should be in another because they are discovering their purpose in college and in life. As these
students interact with other students and expand their intellectual capacities, they start to realize
their purpose, that I believe can be an ongoing journey. Because I couldnt hear each individual
conversation, I know that many of these students were moving through different vectors and at
different times but as a group I believe vectors one, four, and six applied to them.

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I want to move on to some models that I believe apply to this environment that I
observed. Physical surroundings encourage or constrain certain kinds of behavior depending on
the physical setting as well as on the number and kinds of individuals in it (Pascarella &
Terenzini, p. 47) and the kinds of individuals in this environment certainly encouraged studying,
even though this was in a food court setting. The open space with many tables allowed students
to study while other students were in class, which is why the environment wasnt very busy or
loud. I believe that because it wasnt too busy or loud at this particular time it helped to maintain
that atmosphere but had it been like a typical food court setting that would constrain any or all
studying and my observation would be completely different. In fact, had I stayed longer and saw
the lunch rush I probably would have seen the environment transition from an academic one to
more of a social one.
I believe this environment is an example of a human aggregate model because, according
to Pascarella & Terenzini, individuals create or define environments even as these environments
attract other individuals and help socialize them to maintain the interests, attitudes, values, and
behaviors of all occupants (p. 47). These particular students set the tone for what type of
environment this was going to be at this particular time, it started out with an individual with a
particular interest or behavior and that attracted other individuals with similar attitudes and
values. In conclusion, the environment that I observed is an example of a physical and human
aggregate model that had individuals that were moving through different vectors of Chickering
and Reissers Seven Vectors of Student Development. Since the majority of students appeared
to be studying, it can be said that they were achieving competence, developing mature
interpersonal relationships, and purpose. These students created their environment by attracting
other individuals to maintain the values and behavior of the rest.

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5
References

Pascarella, E. T. & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students (Vol. 2): A third decade
of research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass A Wiley Imprint.