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The Comparative Impacts Of Social Justice Educational Methods On Political Participation, Civic Engagement, And Multicultural Activism, Amy Krings, Elizabeth A. Austic, Lorraine M. Gutierrez, Kaleigh E. Dirksen

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

This cross-sectional, repeated measures, quasi-experimental study evaluates changes in college stu- dents’ commitment toward, and confidence in, political participation, civic engagement, and multi- cultural activism. Our sample (n = 653) consisted of college students in a Midwestern university who participated in one of three social justice education course types (service learning, intergroup dialogue, or lecture-based diversity classes) or in an “introduction to psychology” course (the non-intervention group). After completion of a social justice education course, students reported an increase in politi- cal participation and multicultural activism, whereas students enrolled in the non-intervention group reported no changes in these measures. Service …