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Education Prof. Castleman says childhood factors determine adult participation by Kayla Eanes | Apr 17 2014 | 6 hours ago

The Democracy Network hosted a panel on diversity in democracy Wednesday night to discuss the participation, enfranchisement and disillusionment of diverse groups in politics.

The panel consisted of LGBTQ Center Coordinator Scott Rheinheimer, Patrice Grimes, an African-American Affairs associate dean, Asst. Education Prof. Ben Castleman and Education graduate student Janelle Peifer.

We want to provide a space to have conversations that arent usually had about politics and that dont usually come up in mainstream political conversations, said third-year College student Sky Miller, director of the Democracy Network. [Diversity] I think is a topic, but definitely intellectually, not one that often comes up unless youre in a class that covers that topic. Having that as a discussion is really important.

The Democracy Network focused its look at the issue on an academic, rather than a political, perspective.

I think its a very interesting perspective to have actual educators be the ones talking about diversity in democracy as opposed to politics professors and people who deal with the overall governmental structure, said first-year College student Aryn Frazier, Democracy Network education committee chair.

Diversity adds many different perspectives, he said. [It allows] people of different backgrounds to come together about issues.

Castleman said inequality does not bode well for democracy.

The process of disenfranchisement is perpetuated at a young age, he said. This continues into secondary school and even college.

Castleman said by the time people are 18 or 20 years old, their ability to engage in political discourse is largely shaped by factors they didnt control around the age of 2 or 3.

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Panel discusses importance of diversity in democracy