Diversity courses as a form of ethnic identity exploration in college students

Graduation Date

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Program

Other

Program

Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, Psychology: Academic Research, 2016

Committee Chair Name

Chris Aberson

Committee Chair Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Keywords

Humboldt State University -- Theses -- Psychology, Identity exploration, College students, Intergroup attitudes, Ethnic identity

Abstract

Ethnic identity is a multidimensional construct that changes over time. The status model of ethnic identity posits four stages of development where individuals move from a general unawareness to a better understanding of its meaning to oneself. Exploration of ethnic identity through learning about one's own group and other ethnic groups is an important component in identity development. However, it is not clear what specific activities constitute exploration. The present study focuses on three primary hypotheses, one research question, and two sets of exploratory analyses. First, it was hypothesized that incoming ethnic identity predicted enrollment in more diversity courses; second, that ethnic identity increased over time and that ethnic identity and diversity courses related to increases in ethnic identity over time; third, that ethnic identity and common fate were related, but that the magnitude of the association was larger freshmen year compared to senior year. The research question was whether ethnic identity and diversity courses predicted perceptions of social distance from ingroup and outgroup members. Exploratory analyses examined whether the ethnic identity stages could be modeled using diversity courses and ethnic identity. Participants were African American (n = 750) and Hispanic/Latino (n = 721) college students who participated in the National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen (NLSF). The NLSF follows students from admission to college to their senior year. Students completed an ethnic identity measure at the start of their first semester and again in their senior year. For each semester, we coded courses completed as including diversity content or not (e.g., AA Literature, Chicano Art). Regarding the hypotheses, results indicated that incoming ethnic identity was associated with more diversity course enrollment. Ethnic identity increased between freshmen year and senior year and diversity courses explained increases in ethnic identity over time. Ethnic identity and common fate were more strongly related senior year compared to freshmen year. Results addressing the research question revealed that ethnic identity and diversity courses were related to feeling more distant from whites, and feeling closer to members of the same ethnic group. Exploratory analyses yielded a four-cluster solution for African American students and a three-cluster solution for Hispanics/Latinos. Finally, differences in common fate and social distance between the clusters were examined.

https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/rf55zb43j

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