Act, Talk, Reflect, Then Act: The Role of Natural Mentors in The Critical Consciousness of Ethnically/Racially Diverse College Students

• Published in: American journal of community psychology Vol. 68; no. 3-4; pp. 292 - 309
• Main Authors: Monjaras‐Gaytan, Lidia Y., Sánchez, Bernadette, Anderson, Amy J., Garcia‐Murillo, Yesenia, McGarity‐Palmer, Rebecca, de los Reyes, Wendy, Catlett, Beth S., Liao, C. Lynn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Science Ltd 01.12.2021
• Subjects: Action; Adolescent; Adolescents; College students; Consciousness; Critical consciousness; Humans; Inequality; Information dissemination; Mentoring; Mentors; Mixed methods research; Natural mentoring relationships; Social justice; Sociopolitical development; Sociopolitical factors; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires; Youth; Natural mentoring relationships; College students; Sociopolitical development; Critical consciousness
• DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12517
• ISSN: 0091-0562

The current mixed‐method study examined the role of natural mentors in the cyclical process of college students’ sociopolitical development, particularly their critical consciousness. College students (N = 145) completed surveys at two time points over a one‐year period. Path analyses indicated that critical action and perceived inequalities were significantly associated with more social justice conversations with mentors and that having more social justice conversations with mentors was significantly associated with more critical action and perceived inequality. Further, mentoring conversations and sociopolitical efficacy helped to explain the positive role of perceived inequality and action on later attitudes around perceived inequalities and critical action. Qualitative one‐on‐one interviews of a subset of participants (n = 30) expanded findings from the quantitative data and revealed detailed information about how mentors supported youth critical consciousness. Specifically, mentors engaged in 1) dialogue and reflection, 2) information and resource sharing, 3) nonjudgmental, comfortable conversations, and 4) role modeling. Findings inform the iterative nature of critical consciousness and on how older adolescents leverage support from natural mentors in this process. Highlights Critical action and reflection led to social justice conversations with mentors. More critical action led to higher sociopolitical efficacy. Social justice conversations with mentors led to critical action and reflection. Natural mentors support youth critical consciousness in a variety of ways.