Developing Latina/o College Student Civic Awareness at Four-Year Colleges and Universities

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Developing a Civically Engaged Identity: Influences and Opportunities

Abstract

This study explores Latina/o college student civic awareness development. The civic awareness measure was created by researchers at the Higher Education Research Institute, composed of three variables used to longitudinally study reported change in: Understanding of the problems facing your community, understanding of national issues, and understanding of global issues. Latina/o college students background characteristics and predispositions, institutional factors, college experience and activities were hypothesized to predict students’ civic awareness. Having discussed politics in the past year (in high school), that native English speaking Latina/o college students, students at Hispanic Serving Institutions, positive cross-racial student interactions, social agency, and attending cultural/racial awareness workshops were all associated with reported Latina/o civic awareness at four-year colleges and universities.

Author

• Miguel Lopez, California State University - Los Angeles