In recent years a host of scholars have considered the contributions of various critical and post-structural perspectives to the study of college student development. This body of work has drawn on critical race theory, intersectionality, and queer theory, among others, to advance more power-conscious approaches to student development. Critical…

An increasing body of research on critical consciousness explores how youth understand and react to inequality in their social contexts. The operationalization of critical consciousness remains inchoate, however. Developmental psychology traditionally conceptualizes critical consciousness as three components (critical reflection, political…

This chapter explores how the framework of intersectionality can be used by faculty in course development and classroom teaching. An overview of intersectionality, highlighting core assumptions and tenets of the framework, is presented first. These assumptions and tenets are then applied to classroom dynamics and the practice of teaching in…

This longitudinal study of Latino/a college students considers the influence of Latino/a college student experiences and ethnic identity on holistic development. Findings indicate that although similar characteristics are seen among Latino/a students, the role of recognizing and making meaning of racism is a significant developmental task. This is…

Through 2 related studies, we investigated the relation between ethnic identity, epistemological development, and achievement among students of color. Findings suggest that the three variables are related, with ethnic identity and epistemological development together contributing to explaining variance in college GPA almost as well as a…

Explores the independent contribution of interpersonal relationships, parental attachment, and racial/ethnic identity to traditional-age undergraduate women's autonomy development, removing the effect of biographical correlates. Differences by race/ethnicity and by residence status in relationship to factors of autonomy are investigated.…

This study explored white students' levels of racial/ethnic identity development and whether pre-college characteristics and patterns of participation in curricular and co-curricular activities influenced identity development. Students in the study attended a predominantly Hispanic two-year institution in southern California (referred to as…

Surveyed 117 African American males at 10 predominantly white universities to examine the relationship between identity attitudes and student involvement. Results indicate that greater campus activity involvement contributed to higher stages of racial identity development. Findings support the idea that a dialectical interaction exists between…

Proposes the consideration of the Nguzo Saba as a foundation for African American college student development theory, focusing on: racial/ethnic identity theories; the history of Kwanzaa; the origins of Kwanzaa (African and African American origins); and practical applications of the Nguzo Saba's seven principles (unity, self-determination,…

During the past 20 years, much has been written on the ethnic/racial identity development of adults. Recently, attention toward adolescents' ethnic identity development has increased; to explicate this new research, a model of ethnic identity development proposed by Phinney (1989) is explored here. The model classifies adolescents into one of four…

Focuses on two sets of variables that may influence perceptions of helpers in a predominantly European American campus environment. Analysis of 180 African American undergraduates shows that ethnic identity and alienation distinctly influence attitudes toward, and knowledge of, campus mental health services, as well as preference for ethnic…

This collection of 17 readings presents research on college students grouped into sections on getting to college, the college environment, the developmental experience, and general reflections. Titles and authors are: (1) "Population Trends, Socioeconomic Status, and Geographic Distribution" (B. Astone and E. Nunez-Wormack); (2)…