"Mix it up day" hopes to fight trend of kids self segregating at younger ages/more categories

[Liberal_in_LA]

Teachers hope students click outside school cliques
This week, campuses will participate in Mix It Up Day, a program that encourages students to avoid self-segregating, which experts say can affect school culture and increase tensions.

At Hawthorne High School recently, students easily identified areas where different groups hang out: the basketball players are in a corner near the cafeteria, the rockers near the stage, ditchers and smokers near the school gates and the JV football players and cheerleaders near the field.

The exercise was aimed at focusing students' attention on the many social and cultural barriers formed by cliques on campus and the stereotypes they can engender. Afterward, Hawthorne senior Naya Pierce said she hoped her classmates would begin to reach beyond their tight-knit circles but admitted it would be slow going.

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In lunchrooms and playgrounds, educators say, children are self-segregating at younger ages and in expanding categories: preppies, geeks, punks, emos, oddballs, hipsters, stoners and delinquents, popular kids, couples and loners, to name some.

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Kuranz said social divisions among children in early grades are reinforced by media and even students' families. Many schools and students refuse to acknowledge the existence of campus cliques, he said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cliques8-2009no...

[vadawg]

1. of course people self segregate, thats what we do as a species

you are always going to gravitate towards people who either look like you or who share a common bond or interest, dosent matter if you are 4 years of age, 16 in school, 20 in college, or 60 in jail.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Jesus, can't just leave them alone to sort themselves out, can they?

The way WE did when we were kids. I hung around people I liked and felt comfortable with. I avoided those I didn't. Now kids in this school don't even get that choice anymore?

[bluestateguy]

3. Wish that program had been around when I was in school

A mandatory school program to force the pretty popular girls to talk to me would have been a good thing.

[vadawg]

5. roflmao, now thats a reply thats worth using as an argument for this program

[anonymous171]

4. What's wrong with that? Kids are just trying to find their identity

It's part of growing up.

[Stephanie]

6. I can't hear you

The amps on the stage are turned up way loud.