Exploring ideologically diverse friend groups among college students.

Von Berger and Bresslen (2017) define viewpoint or ideological diversity as “an honest consideration of multiple views, often competing for claims that privileges a vigorous or spirited debate of ideologically different ideas which are to be judged on their logical soundness and intellectual merit” (p. 26). In recent years, ideological diversity has become a growing research interest in the higher education field but little research has been dedicated to ideological diversity within peer interactions and friend groups. This exploratory qualitative research study seeks to answer the following question: How do college students at faith-based universities develop and maintain ideologically diverse friend groups, and what are the perceived outcomes of such friendships? With the intent to better understand IDFGs in faith-based higher education, this study offers insight as to why promoting ideological diversity and such friend groups is meaningful for student development and the student experience as well as insight for how Christian higher education professionals might go about supporting IDFG-related initiatives.