Civic Engagement Measures for Latina/o College Students

Abstract

3This chapter uses a critical quantitative approach to study models and measures of civic engagement for Latina/o college students. The chapter describes the importance of a critical quantitative approach to study civic engagement of Latina/o college students, then uses Hurtado et al.' s (2012) model to examine the civic engagement of Latina/o college students. Alternative and additional measures of civic engagement are described, such as ethnic and indigenous identity, immigrant generation and status, nativity, and time of arrival in the United States. I conclude with recommendations for future models and research on civic engagement of Latina/o college students.Although college participation in the United States has steadily increased over the past four decades, two-and four-year college degree attainment among 25-64-year-olds has remained stagnant at approximately 39% (Lumina Foundation for Education, 2013a). The lack of growth in college degree holders has led to a shift in higher education policy priorities to focus on increasing educational attainment. The Obama administration has committed to two goals: (a) to ensure that all Americans have the ability to pursue college, and (b) for the United States to have the highest proportion of young adults (a 50% increase nationwide) with college degrees compared to other developed nations by 2020 (The White House, 2009.The college completion agenda has been framed as a national priority mainly driven by an economic rationale-to reduce the unemployment rate, increase state and federal tax revenues, and regain global competitiveness (U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Under Secretary, and Office of Postsecondary Education, 2012). While the alignment between higher education and employment is important, the economic rationale underlying the college completion agenda can be problematic. The college completion agenda does not take into account continuing disparities in educational attainment by race and class. While the educational attainment rate has steadily increased for all students in the aggregate, the gap between White NEW DIRECTIONS FOR INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH, no. 158

Diverging Paths: Understanding Racial Differences in Civic Engagement Among White, African American, and Latina/o Adolescents Using Structural Equation Modeling

“…African Americans also have unique shared history of political activism through community organizations (Ginwright, 2011). This may not be as true for Latina/o youth who come from many different countries and ethnic backgrounds and thus may not be able to draw on the same shared history of collective resistance (Alcantar, 2014).…”

“…African American community-based organizations can draw on a shared history of fighting for equal civil and political rights. Latina/os, by comparison, are a much more fractured and diverse population with people from many different ethnic and indigenous backgrounds and immigration statuses (Alcantar, 2014;Bedolla, 2012). As a result, Latina/os may not be civically engaged through community-based organizations in the same ways as African American youth.…”

Assessing Empowerment at HSIs: An Adapted Inputs-Environments-Outcomes Model

“…We also propose civic engagement as a critical outcome of an empowering education. Civic engagement may further advance Latinx degree attainment; consequently, it is important to consider how Latinx students engage civically on campus and beyond (Alcantar, 2014). Research shows that civic engagement among Latinx students at one HSI has been positively affected by their engagement in student organizations (González, 2008).…”

Past, Present, and Future of Critical Quantitative Research in Higher Education

“…Past work explicitly employing a critical quantitative framework has examined issues related to gender (Kinzie, ; Williams, ), immigrant status (Conway, ; Wells, ), and low‐income students (Oseguera & Hwang, ). The majority of research employing the critical quantitative approach, however, has focused on issues of race and ethnicity (e.g., Alcantar, ; John & Stage, ; Perna, ; Teranishi, ; Williams, ). Despite this emphasis, there are still racial and ethnic subgroups that have been neglected not only in higher education literature but also in the conversations about critical quantitative research.…”