Experiment: Emphasizing multiculturalism convinces people that race is real and biological

A study of Rutgers undergraduates revealed an interesting dynamic. To promote equality, many psychologists claim that teaching people multiculturalism -- emphasizing ethnic differences -- is more effective than focusing on color-blind messages. In this study, students exposed to multicultural rather than color-blind information were more likely to report "essentialist" opinions; that racial differences are real, biological, and unchanging.

This makes sense. If we emphasize that racial groups are different in important ways, it's not surprising when people assume the differences are natural. It takes a lot of mental gymnastics to develop the view that differences are somehow real and a big deal, but are nothing more than social constructions. Evolution had produced a brain that assumes that what you see is what you get. And it's basically correct.

So if this study is valid, multiculturalism is ironically helping those of us who want to convince the public that group differences are partly biological. Liberals, I thank you.