Michigan State University began with just 63 students and today, there are over 45,000 students that walk the face of campus. Within this population, students come from over 100 countries, across the world. With such a large variety of cultural differences and norms, the university needs to stay up to date on who is attending the university and what the needs are of those people that will heighten their educational and social experience while at MSU. Michigan State's core values within land and world grant philosophies focus on four major points: Quality, Good enough for the proudest, Inclusion, and Connectivity. The social problem of accepting and integrating others' cultural identity and practices falls in between the two values of Inclusion and Connectivity.
    The first article above, is a longitudinal study conducted within Asian and Latino immigration to the United States that provides a premise for understanding the importance of incorporating effective social and educational tools within these communities that are present on MSU's campus. The article describes "acculturative stress" as being a type of stress immigrants may experience. This includes "leaving behind social networks and family cultural norms, having to adapt a new culture, often a new language, and building a new support system" (Rogers-Sirin). If not handled properly or if it goes unaddressed by an university, it will create educational problems, language and social barriers, and a down spiral in populations willing to become a part of that university. In my Anthropology class last semester, we identified how we culturally define "others." It is a way of separating those unlike us, and we as Americans have a tendency to not truly understand and make "others" feel comfortable in our cultural settings. MSU vows to Inclusion as a world grant philosophy and in doing so, faculty from other cultures and countries have been hired to aid students, such as those from this research (Asians and Latinos), in making a smooth transition in becoming a part of MSU's campus living, educational, and social life.
    The second study (blue link) focuses on identity within three European countries, stating that a young person's path to adulthood is based on reciprocal individual and environmental interactions. An individual's family and peer relationships along with their own personality characteristics, motivation, and self-concepts (Salmela-Aro) either prepare or demote their development within their community. Adolescent Psychology classes often define these areas as "micro, meso, eso, and macro-systems." Each system from the individual themselves to every area that might have influence depicts that individual's success in development in many aspects of their lives. Adolescence, depending on which theorist you ask, falls in between the ages of 12 and 25. Within this age range, many adolescents choose this time to attend college, to leave home and become a part of a new culture, during what is defined as a complex, confusing, and extremely episodic time period in an individual's life.
    The difference between these two articles is that one is studied across more than one cultural institution whereas the other studies within its own community. Both are extremely important when attempting to deliver the core values of Inclusion and Connectivity. Connectivity is defined by MSU as follows: "What is done in a community makes a difference in the world around us." The middle ground here is understanding both. There is more than one aspect to research, study, and understand if one wants to better the experience of those who are immigrating to the U.S. and attending the universities that accommodate a wide range of students. If an university understands the community aspects and needs of an individual's cultural norms, it makes it that much easier to include those aspects in their new setting. Faculty, social organizations, tutoring, mentoring, and counseling programs all help stabilize an environment where those coming from over 100 countries can feel comfortable, holding onto their own culture as well as incorporating a new culture. These things, MSU has provided and, I feel, should continue to research and improve upon.
    In order to prevent a down spiral in diverse populations at  MSU, barriers of any kind, acculturative stress, and/or a reverse in adolescent development, there needs to be a plethora of diversity within the faculty and organizations just as much as there is a plethora of diversity among the students on campus. If this is continually done, then I believe MSU will continue to uphold its remarkable reputation of staying true to its land, and now world, grant philosophies and values.

    Overview:

    The gray link above leads to the main article discussed here and its comparable article, in blue, directly above this section, which discuss the importance of cultural identity and how that can have affect on a community.

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