Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Art Of Social Justice: Examining Arts Programming As A Context For Critical Consciousness Development Among Youth, Deanna A. Ibrahim, Erin B. Godfrey, Elise Cappella, Esther Burson

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Critical consciousness has been linked to a range of positive outcomes, particularly among marginalized youth; yet, evidence on its developmental antecedents remains limited. The current study examines whether arts participation is associated with positive change in critical consciousness, and whether these associations differ by youth’s social group status. The sample consisted of high school youth (N = 2537; 10% Latinx, 7% Multiracial; 4% Black; 5% Asian; 72% White; 2% Other; 53% Female; Mage = 15.69; age range = 10–20). The results showed that youth with higher arts participation demonstrate higher growth in critical reflection and action, adjusting for baseline critical …