Unraveling the Complexity of Critical Consciousness, Political Efficacy, and Political Action Among Marginalized Adolescents

Abstract

This research examines the complex patterns by which distinct dimensions of critical consciousness may lead marginalized adolescents toward distinct forms of political action. Structural equation modeling was applied to nationally representative data from the Civic Education Study (2,811 ninth graders; Mage = 14.6), first establishing the measurement invariance of constructs across samples of poor or working class African American and Latino/a adolescents. Perceptions of societal inequality and aspirational beliefs that society ought to be more equal differentially predicted expected voting, conventional political action, and social action-while controlling for civic achievement and with nuances between ethnic and racial groups. Contrary to hypotheses and extant scholarship, political efficacy did not mediate or moderate relations between critical reflection and disparate forms of political action.

Liberating and Empowering Effects of Critical Reflection on Collective Action in LGBT and Cisgender Heterosexual Individuals

“…The results are consistent with the proposition of the SIMCA (van Zomeren et al, ), which suggests that group efficacy can bring a sense of collective strength among a group of individuals, enabling them to believe their capacity to transform the current situation and thereby boosting their participation in collective action. The findings also provide empirical support for the theory of critical consciousness (Diemer & Rapa, ; Watts et al, ) by revealing the relationships between the reflection, efficacy, and action components of critical consciousness. Through the reflection of the structures of power and privilege, critical reflection can offer a fundamental understanding of the process of, outcomes from, and possible responses to oppression (Cammarota, ).…”

“…Notwithstanding its limitations, the present study constitutes an important step in characterizing the mechanisms underlying critical reflection and collective action for minority rights, which have rarely been explored in the literature (Diemer & Rapa, ; Montero, ). Critical reflection can be considered as a resource to build resistance to social injustice by liberating people from oppressive ideologies and empowering them to take collective action to challenge oppression (Watts et al, ).…”

“…Critical consciousness was primarily used to explain vocational development, political participation, and civic engagement in racial and ethnic minorities (Diemer et al, ; Watts, Abdul‐Adil, & Pratt, ) as well as people with lower socioeconomic status (Diemer & Blustein, ; Diemer & Rapa, ). While lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals are also a socially and historically oppressed group, limited research has been done to understand the development of critical consciousness in this population.…”

“…This is most relevant for people with marginalized identities given their experiences of oppression within the social systems (Kelso et al, ; Windsor et al, ). In a sample of working‐class African American and Latino/a youth, Diemer and Rapa () found that the youth were more likely to engage in social activism if they understood the ways in which they were oppressed by the structural forces. Drawing on the above literature, it was hypothesized that critical reflection would be positively associated with collective action for LGBT rights (Hypothesis 1).…”

“…As they believe that their action can have the intended impacts on their community, they are empowered to take action to avert structural injustice (Zimmerman, ). The mediating effect of collective efficacy, however, has rarely been subject to research scrutiny and do not receive much empirical support (Diemer & Rapa, ). It was hypothesized that the association between critical reflection and collective action would be mediated by collective efficacy (Hypothesis 3).…”