Supporting Youth Combatting Racism: Critical Consciousness Development in a Racist Society

Abstract

United States (U.S.) society is at a critical juncture. Currently, perspectives that center the experiences of historically oppressed racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. and critique deep-rooted inequalities are under intense scrutiny. This is troubling as exposure to such contexts is associated with academic achievement and civic engagement among students of color (Cabrera et al., 2014; Dee & Penner, 2017; Kirshner & Ginwright, 2012). Theory suggests that students develop critical consciousness (i.e., the critical analysis of, motivation to, and action taken to challenge inequality) within contexts that espouse anti-racism and other critical perspectives, otherwise termed consciousness-raising systems (Heberle et al., 2020). However, little empirical research examines youth’s development of critical consciousness while embedded in consciousness-raising systems. This dissertation assesses whether youth participation in community-based activist groups and ethnic studies courses, two consciousness-raising systems, fosters their critical consciousness. Furthermore, Study 2 examines whether the development of critical consciousness mediates the link between enrollment in ethnic studies and academic outcomes. Thus, the aim of this dissertation is to uncover youth’s development of critical consciousness within contexts designed to foster it, as well as the downstream consequences of this development.

In partnership with community-based activist organizations and two high schools, this dissertation employs longitudinal research designs with diverse students to elucidate whether they develop critical consciousness while embedded in consciousness-raising systems. Accordingly, this dissertation is comprised of two stand-alone empirical studies investigating critical consciousness development in two different contexts. The first study is a solely quantitative investigation of adolescents’ development of critical consciousness while participating in community-based activist organizations. Longitudinal analyses of adolescents’ self-reported critical consciousness revealed that youth grew in their critical reflection and critical action over the course of their participation in community-based activism. Importantly, participation in community-based activism was positively associated with CC development. Thus, Study 1 provides foundational evidence for critical consciousness development within community-based activist organizations, suggesting it serves as a consciousness-raising system.

Study 2 leveraged a longitudinal convergent mixed methods design to explore adolescents’ development of critical consciousness within another consciousness-raising system—ethnic studies. Crucially, this study also addresses a gap in the literature on ethnic studies and student outcomes. In the ethnic studies and student achievement literature, there is a well-established positive relationship between ethnic studies enrollment and academic achievement (Cabrera et al., 2014; Dee & Penner, 2016), yet little is known about the factors that mediate this relationship. Therefore, in addition to exploring youth’s growth in critical consciousness while enrolled in ethnic studies, this investigation also assessed whether growth in critical consciousness is linked to positive school and social outcomes. In short, the quantitative data revealed that ethnic studies students grew in their critical reflection whereas unenrolled students did not, but all students experienced declines in their critical motivation. While the qualitative data supported the quantitative trend for critical reflection—providing student voice to exemplify this growth—the qualitative data diverged in regard to critical motivation. Whereas the quantitative data suggested declining critical motivation, the qualitative data alluded to growing critical motivation. Together, these findings highlight that ethnic studies serves as a consciousness-raising system, but that opportunities for scaffolded collective action (i.e., opportunity structures) are essential for catalyzing reflection into motivation and action. Several insights for practice and policy emerge from this research.