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Examining the Impacts of Youth Dialogue: Anti-racist Behavior, Social Responsibility, and Civic Habitus

Year: 2020
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Intergroup dialogue is a critical pedagogy that helps individuals learn about systems of oppression and work collaboratively with others to challenge those systems. While much research exists documenting the impact that intergroup dialogue has on college aged students, less is known about how intergroup dialogue impacts adolescents. Additionally, while research on intergroup dialogue demonstrates changes in anticipated behaviors, less is known about how intergroup dialogue impacts actual behaviors. This case study explores the ways in which one particular youth dialogue program influences adolescents’ behavior, sense of responsibility, and long-term activism, with a specific focus on civic behaviors, attitudes, and identity. This mixed method dissertation utilizes pre- and post-tests as well as in-depth interviews to demonstrate the following: 1) youth dialogue strengthens adolescents’ cognitive understanding of structural inequality, and supports the development of skills that young people can use to work towards change; 2) youth dialogue increases rates of anti-racist and activist behaviors, and increases adolescents’ sense of social responsibility; and 3) participants who continued their engagement through a structured fellowship program following the youth dialogue program differed in many ways from participants who did not apply for the structured program, suggesting that socialization, curriculum, and leadership influence who can envision themselves as a young civic leader and how young people engage civically. Implications regarding the potential for youth dialogue to promote long-term civic engagement are discussed, as well as critical questions for researchers and practitioners to consider in an ever-developing field.
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3101708556
Cites: 11
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Related to: 10