Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-16T07:27:30.431Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

3 - Integrating Critical Consciousness and Social Empathy

A New Framework to Enhance Conscientization

from Part I - Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2023

By
Luke J. Rapa ,
Candice W. Bolding  and
Cari Allyn Brooks
Edited by
Luke J. Rapa  and
Erin B. Godfrey
Luke J. Rapa
Affiliation:
Clemson University, South Carolina
Erin B. Godfrey
Affiliation:
New York University
Get access

Summary

In this chapter, we briefly introduce critical consciousness and social empathy frameworks, which have both been used to analyze and address inequitable societal conditions, structural disparities, marginalization, and oppression. We then present an integrated framework that brings the two together. After introducing the integrated critical consciousness–social empathy framework – which may elucidate one means by which critical reflection–action–motivation praxis is enhanced or augmented – we present results from an exploratory study testing the framework with data drawn from a US national sample of adults. Study results suggest social empathy may moderate associations between critical consciousness dimensions, or at least the pathway between critical reflection and critical motivation, as tested here. We conclude by considering some implications of this new framework for future research and practice.

Keywords

inequityinterpersonal empathymarginalizationmoderation effectsoppressionprivilegesystemic barriers
Type
Chapter
Information
Critical Consciousness
Expanding Theory and Measurement
 , pp. 63 - 87
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allemand, M., Steiger, A. E., & Fend, H. A. (2015). Empathy development in adolescence predicts social competencies in adulthood. Journal of Personality, 83(2), 229–241. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12098.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bañales, J., Mathews, C., Hayat, N., Anyiwo, N., & Diemer, M. A. (2020). Latinx and Black young adults’ pathways to civic/political engagement. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 26(2), 176–188. http://doi.org/10.1037/cdp0000271.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bolding, C. W., & Ogle, J. H., & Rapa, L. J. (2021, July). Exploring undergraduate civil engineering students’ perceptions of infrastructure inequities: A pilot study. Paper presented at 2021 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual Conference. https://peer.asee.org/37166.Google Scholar
Brown, C. S., Mistry, R. S., & Yip, T. (2019). Moving from the margins to the mainstream: Equity and justice as key considerations for developmental science. Child Development Perspectives, 13(4), 235–240. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burson, E., & Godfrey, E. B. (2020). Intraminority solidarity: The role of critical consciousness. European Journal of Social Psychology, 50, 1362–1377. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2679.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Causadias, J. M., & Umaña-Taylor, A. J. (2018). Reframing marginalization and youth development: Introduction to the special issue. American Psychologist, 73(6), 707–712. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000336.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clark, S., & Seider, S. (2017). Developing critical curiosity in adolescents. Equity & Excellence in Education, 50(2), 125–141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collins, P. H. (1993). Toward a new vision: Race, class, and gender as categories of analysis and connection. Race, Sex, & Class, 1(1), 25–45.Google Scholar
Combahee River Collective. (1977/2014). A Black feminist statement. Women’s Studies Quarterly, 42, 271–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coston, B. M., & Kimmel, M. S. (2012). Seeing privilege where it isn’t: Marginalized masculinities and the intersectionality of privilege. Journal of Social Issues, 68(1), 97–111. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2011.01738.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 140(1), 139–167. http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8.Google Scholar
Diemer, M. A. (2020). Pushing the envelope: The who, what, when, and why of critical consciousness. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 70, 101192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101192.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diemer, M. A., & Blustein, D. L. (2006). Critical consciousness and career development among urban youth. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68(2), 220–232.Google Scholar
Diemer, M. A., Frisby, M. B., Pinedo, A. et al. (2022). Development of the Short Critical Consciousness Scale (ShoCCS). Applied Developmental Science, 26(3), 409–425. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2020.1834394.Google Scholar
Diemer, M. A., McWhirter, E., Ozer, E., & Rapa, L. J. (2015). Advances in the conceptualization and measurement of critical consciousness. The Urban Review, 47, 809–823. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-015-0336-7.Google Scholar
Diemer, M. A., Pinedo, A., Bañales, J. et al. (2021). Recentering action in critical consciousness. Child Development Perspectives, 15(1), 12–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12393.Google Scholar
Diemer, M. A., & Rapa, L. J. (2016). Unraveling the complexity of critical consciousness, political efficacy, and political action among marginalized adolescents. Child Development, 87, 221–238. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12446.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diemer, M. A., Rapa, L. J., Park, C. J., & Perry, J. C. (2017). Development and validation of the Critical Consciousness Scale. Youth & Society, 49(4), 461–483. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X14538289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diemer, M. A., Rapa, L. J., Voight, A. M., & McWhirter, E. H. (2016). Critical consciousness: A developmental approach to addressing marginalization and oppression. Child Development Perspectives, 10(4), 216–221. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12193.Google Scholar
Enders, C. (2010). Applied missing data analysis. Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Freire, P. (1973). Education for critical consciousness. Continuum.Google Scholar
Freire, P. (1968/2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.Google Scholar
Gerdes, K. E., & Segal, E. A. (2009). A social work model of empathy. Advances in Social Work, 10(2), 114–127.Google Scholar
Gerdes, K. E., Segal, E. A., Jackson, K. F., & Mullins, J. L. (2011). Teaching empathy: A framework rooted in social cognitive neuroscience and social justice. Journal of Social Work Education, 47(1), 109–131. https://doi.org/10.5175/JSWE.2011.200900085.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Godfrey, E. B., & Burson, E. (2018). Interrogating the intersections: How intersectional perspectives can inform developmental scholarship on critical consciousness. In Santos, C. E. & Toomey, R. B. (Eds.), Envisioning the Integration of an Intersectional Lens in Developmental Science. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 161, 17–38. https://doi.org/10.1002/cad.20246.Google Scholar
Godfrey, E. B., Burson, E. L., Yanisch, T. M., Hughes, D., & Way, N. (2019). A bitter pill to swallow? Patterns of critical consciousness and socioemotional and academic well-being in early adolescence. Developmental Psychology, 55(3), 525–537. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000558.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heberle, A. E., Rapa, L. J., & Faragó, F. (2020). Critical consciousness in children and adolescents: A systematic review, critical assessment, and recommendations for future research. Psychological Bulletin, 146(6), 525–551. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000230.Google Scholar
Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1998). Fit indices in covariance structure modeling: Sensitivity to underparameterized model misspecification. Psychological Methods, 3, 424–453.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hu, L., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55.Google Scholar
IBM Corp. (2016). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 24.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.Google Scholar
Ibrahim, D., Nalani, A., & Godfrey, E. B. (in press). Breaking down the arts: A novel exploration of how varying kinds of arts participation relate to critical consciousness among youth of color. In Godfrey, E. B. & Rapa, L. J. (Eds.), Developing Critical Consciousness in Youth: Contexts and Settings. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Jemal, A. (2017). Critical consciousness: A critique and critical analysis of the literature. The Urban Review, 49, 602–626. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-017-0411-3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jones, J. M. (2021). The dual pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism: Navigating our path forward. School Psychology, 36(5), 427–431. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000472.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Junker, R. J., and Jacquemin, S. J. (2017). How does literature affect empathy in students? College Teaching, 65(2), 79–87. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2016.1255583.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keefe, T. (1980). Empathy skill and critical consciousness. Social Casework: The Journal of Contemporary Social Work, 61(7), 387–393.Google Scholar
Kimmel, M. S., & Ferber, A. L. (2018). Privilege: A reader (4th ed.) New York: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kline, R. B. (2016). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling: Methodology in the social sciences (4th ed.). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Lee, Y., Muennig, P., Kawachi, I., & Hatzenbuehler, M. L. (2015). Effects of racial prejudice on the health of communities: A multilevel survival analysis. American Journal of Public Health, 105(11), 2349–2355. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2015.302776.Google Scholar
Maker Castro, E., Dull, B., Hoyt, L. T., & Cohen, A. K. (2021). Associations between critical consciousness and well-being in a national sample of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Community Psychology. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22678.Google Scholar
Maker Castro, E., Wray-Lake, L., & Cohen, A. K. (2022). Critical consciousness and wellbeing in adolescents and young adults: A systematic review. Adolescent Research Review. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-022-00188-3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maxwell, B., & DesRoches, S. (2010). Empathy and social‐emotional learning: Pitfalls and touchstones for school‐based programs. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2010(129), 33–53. https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.274.Google Scholar
McWhirter, E. H., & McWhirter, B. T. (2016). Critical consciousness and vocational development among Latina/o high school youth: Initial development and testing of a measure. Journal of Career Assessment, 24(3), 543–558. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072715599535.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (1998–2021). Mplus user’s guide. (8th ed.). [published by author].Google Scholar
Rapa, L. J., Bolding, C. W., & Jamil, F. M. (2020a). Development and initial validation of the Short Critical Consciousness Scale (CCS-S). Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 70, 101164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rapa, L. J., Bolding, C. W., & Jamil, F. M. (2020b). (Re)Examining the effects of open classroom climate on the critical consciousness of preadolescent and adolescent youth. Applied Developmental Science, 26(3), 471–487. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2020.1861946.Google Scholar
Rapa, L. J., Diemer, M. A., & Bañales, J. (2018). Critical action as a pathway to social mobility among marginalized youth. Developmental Psychology, 54(1), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000414.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rapa, L. J., Diemer, M. A., & Roseth, C. J. (2020). Can a values-affirmation intervention bolster academic achievement and raise critical consciousness? Results from a small-scale field experiment. Social Psychology of Education, 23(2), 537–557. https://doi/org/10.1007/s11218-020-09546-2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rapa, L. J., & Geldhof, G. J. (2020). Critical consciousness: New directions for understanding its development during adolescence. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 70, 101187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101187.Google Scholar
Rios, F., Trent, A., & Castañeda, L. V. (2003). Social perspective taking: Advancing empathy and advocating justice. Equity & Excellence in Education, 36(1), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665680303506.Google Scholar
Ruck, M. D., Mistry, R. S., & Flanagan, C. A. (2019). Children’s and adolescents’ understanding and experiences of economic inequality: An introduction to the special section. Developmental Psychology, 55, 449–456. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000694.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Segal, E. A. (2007). Social empathy: A new paradigm to address poverty. Journal of Poverty, 11(3), 65–81. https://doi.org/10.1300/J134v11n03_06.Google Scholar
Segal, E. A. (2011). Social empathy: A model built on empathy, contextual understanding, and social responsibility that promotes social justice. Journal of Social Service Research, 37(3), 266–277. https://doi.org/10.1080/01488376.2011.564040CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Segal, E. A., Gerdes, K. E., Lietz, C. A., Wagaman, M. A., & Geiger, J. M. (2017). Assessing empathy. New York: Columbia University Press.Google Scholar
Segal, E. A., & Wagaman, M. A. (2017). Social empathy as a framework for teaching social justice. Journal of Social Work Education, 53(2), 201–211. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2016.1266980.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Segal, E. A., Wagaman, M. A., & Gerdes, K. E. (2012). Developing the Social Empathy Index: An exploratory factor analysis. Advances in Social Work, 13(3), 541–560. https://doi.org/10.18060/2042.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seider, S., Clark, S., & Graves, D. (2020). The development of critical consciousness and its relation to academic achievement in adolescents of color. Child Development, 91(2), e451–e474. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13262.Google Scholar
Shin, R. Q., Ezeofor, I., Smith, L. C., Welch, J. C., & Goodrich, K. M. (2016). The development and validation of the contemporary critical consciousness measure. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63, 210–223. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000137.Google Scholar
Shin, R. Q., Smith, L. C., Lu, Y. et al. (2018). The development and validation of the contemporary critical consciousness measure II. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 65, 539–555. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000302.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shiner, R. L., & Masten, A. S. (2012). Childhood personality as a harbinger of competence and resilience in adulthood. Development and Psychopathology, 24(2), 507–528. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579412000120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Silke, C., Brady, B., Boylan, C., & Dolan, P. (2018). Factors influencing the development of empathy and pro-social behaviour among adolescents: A systematic review. Children and Youth Services Review, 94, 421–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.07.027.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Streiner, D. L. (2003). Starting at the beginning: An introduction to coefficient alpha and internal consistency. Journal of Personality Assessment, 80, 99–103.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Szanto, T., & Krueger, J. (2019). Introduction: Empathy, shared emotions, and social identity. Topoi, 38(1), 153–162. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-019-09641-w.Google Scholar
Tyler, C. P., Olsen, S. G., Geldhof, G. J., & Bowers, E. P. (2020). Critical consciousness in late adolescence: Understanding if, how, and why youth act. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 70, 101165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101165.Google Scholar
Wagaman, M. A. (2011). Social empathy as a framework for adolescent empowerment. Journal of Social Service Research, 37(3), 278–293. https://doi.org/10.1080/01488376.2011.564045.Google Scholar
Watts, R. J., Diemer, M. A., & Voight, A. M. (2011). Critical consciousness: Current status and future directions. In Flanagan, C. A. & Christens, B. D. (Eds.), Youth civic development: Work at the cutting edge. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 134, 43–57. https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.310.Google Scholar
Watts, R. J., & Flanagan, C. (2007). Pushing the envelope on youth civic engagement: A developmental and liberation psychology perspective. Journal of Community Psychology, 35(6), 779–792. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.20178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watts, R. J., Griffith, D. M., & Abdul-Adil, J. (1999). Sociopolitical development as an antidote for oppression – theory and action. American Journal of Community Psychology, 27, 255–271. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022839818873.Google Scholar
Watts, R. J., & Hipolito-Delgado, C. (2015). Thinking ourselves to liberation? Advancing sociopolitical action in critical consciousness. The Urban Review, 47, 847–867. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-015-0341-x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watts, R. J., Williams, N. C., & Jagers, R. J. (2003). Sociopolitical development. American Journal of Community Psychology, 31, 185–194. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023091024140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yeh, C. J., Stanley, S., Ramirez, C. A., & Borrero, N. E. (2022). Navigating the “dual pandemics”: The cumulative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and rise in awareness of racial injustices among high school students of color in urban schools. Urban Education. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00420859221097884.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×