Exploring Privileged Identity: Facilitating Transformation in Educational Environments

• In Event: 66.087 - MTCC Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: 66.087-8 - Interrogating Power Across Educational Contexts

Abstract

This paper describes the development of an instrument to measure defensive reactions individuals display in difficult dialogues while exploring privileged identities and interacting across difference. The increased focus on difficult dialogues when exploring privileged social identities in educational environments points to a need for the Privileged Identity Exploration Scale (PIE-S). The Privileged Identity Exploration Model (PIE) (Watt, 2007; Watt, 2009) identifies eight defensive reactions. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor, we identified and confirmed four constructs of privileged identity exploration that students exhibit when interacting across social differences, the PIE Scale (PIE-S). We provide an overview of the development of the PIE-S, as well as future directions for research as well as applications to training and facilitation in various educational settings.

Authors

• Sherry K. Watt, University of Iowa

• Duhita Mahatmya, University of Iowa

• Eugene T. Parker, The University of Kansas

• Cindy Ann Kilgo, Indiana University - Bloomington

• Kira Pasquesi, University of Colorado, Boulder

• Amanda L. Mollet, University of Iowa

• Stephen Malvaso, The University of Iowa

• Charles Martin-Stanley, The University of Iowa