Assessing Critical Consciousness in Youth and Young Adults

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a scale to assess critical consciousness to be used as an assessment tool for assessing critical consciousness levels of individuals: first for prevention work, including programs that foster multicultural awareness and sensitivity, rites of passages, or racial socialization programs; and second for clinical work. The Critical Consciousness Inventory (CCI) is a nine-item scale using a Guttman model of scaling. Two hundred participants of varying ethnic/racial backgrounds completed the scale. Psychometric properties of the scale are included. The scale differentiates individuals at diverse levels of critical consciousness development. The CCI is related to social dominance and stigma consciousness.Requests for reprints should be sent to

Critical Consciousness: A Critique and Critical Analysis of the Literature

“…These new insights from revised interpretations can be integrated into one’s repertoire of self and world knowledge (Saari 2002), thereby transforming consciousness. Lastly, critical thinking skills are needed to aid reflection, develop awareness, and deconstruct (Garcia et al 2009; Thomas et al 2014) “social forces that influence them and their communities—especially as they relate to race, culture, class, and gender” (Watts et al 2002, p. 41).…”

“…The group identity and a sense of community provide support and acceptance from others who are also struggling (Hatcher et al 2010). According to Gutierrez and Ortega (1991, p. 26), “[e]mpowerment theory assumes that if individuals understand the connectedness of human experience they will be more likely to work with others to alter social conditions.” Thus, intra-group interaction and communication that incorporates a sense of belonging have been identified as empowerment techniques, potentially increasing communal efficacy for mobilizing activities and collective social action that promotes the common good over efforts towards individual achievement (Gutierrez and Ortega 1991; Hatcher et al 2010; Thomas et al 2014). Empowering the silenced to find their collective voice and liberate themselves is the overarching goal of consciousness-raising (Gutierrez and Ortega 1991); or, as Hardy-Fanta (1986, p. 123) describes, having “competent people working toward achieving their own ends through collective action.” To accomplish similar goals,Watts et al (2002) and Windsor et al (2014a, b) have considered a process of civic learning in which participants develop community action projects that use participant-generated insights to change social systems.…”

“…However, Freire did not provide a conceptual model of CC, and thus, many scholars spanning the education, community psychology, social work, public health, and social science fields have adopted, interpreted, applied and expanded CC in various directions (Green 2009; Thomas et al 2014). The purpose of this paper is to provide an in-depth review and critique of the CC literature that delves beyond highlighting the current state of the CC literature (e.g., Diemer et al 2015; Diemer et al 2016; Watts et al 2011; Watts and Hipolito-Delgado 2015) to identify the conceptual inconsistencies, ambiguities and gaps that dominate and weaken CC theory to support the need to develop the new construct, transformative potential.…”

Empowerment and Critical Consciousness: A Conceptual Cross-Fertilization

“…For instance, Diemer et al (2014) designed and tested a Critical Consciousness Scale with critical reflection assessed according to two dimensions-perceived inequality and egalitarianism-and critical action assessed as sociopolitical participation. Meanwhile, other scholars (Thomas et al 2014) developed a Critical Consciousness Index, which measures critical reflection using a more interpersonal (as opposed to structural) emphasis, and assesses critical action as social perspective taking. Notably, neither of these scales contain a measure of political efficacy (Diemer et al 2015), although some recently developed scales do .…”

“…This clearly signals the centrality of this emotional component to the notion of psychological empowerment. In contrast, two of the most recently developed measurement frameworks for critical consciousness have not included a component for political efficacy (Diemer et al 2014;Thomas et al 2014), signaling that this is a less important piece of the overarching construct.…”