The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3 - 61

Critical Consciousness Development

a sense of activism in me that I had never felt
before.
Prior to EMDS, Isabella had yet to develop a
deep understanding of herself as a member
of a marginalized community. However as a
result of her participation in this co-curricular
activity, she has developed a stronger identification as a Latina and a more critical understanding of racialized systems of oppression.
Will, a white male, noted:
A large part of discovering home is finding
comfort within yourself. . . . This was
extremely important, particularly with regards
to my growth in understanding communities
of color, the LGBTQ community, and class
boundaries that don't easily find their way to
the psyche of a white, straight, upper middle
class male.
Will makes clear that he now acknowledges
and no longer takes for granted the privileges
attached to his race, class, gender, and sexual
identity. Both Isabella and Will demonstrate
Cipolle's (2010) notion of self awareness for
critical consciousness as developing awareness
of "one's privilege, values, beliefs, and role in
society" and being able to connect those identities with larger structures of power (p. 7).
Intersectionality is an important concept
introduced in the curriculum and serves as a
key concept that supports students' capacity to
more fully see themselves and others. Of the
reflection papers, 41% included themes about
being more aware of others' identities. Luis, a
Latino, reflected,
I had pigeonholed (Amy) as the 'typical'
bubbly white girl with no actual problems . . .
After (the "privilege" activity) was done, it was
Amy that ended up at the back. She explained
that she was economically disadvantaged

for much of her life. . . . Yet, now knowing of
the intersectionality of oppression, I see that
Amy's white privilege did not erase her class
oppression. Nor did it erase the oppression of
her Jewish and woman identities.
His self-criticism reveals his growing understanding about White identities; in this case,
the ways intersecting identities have impacted
his White classmate. Students also expressed
an understanding of self and others via their
relationship as an ally. While research on critical consciousness does not identify allyship
as a specific component of critical reflection,
allyship emerged as an important theme that
connected students' awareness of their potential role as change agents and allies. After
articulating an understanding about Amy's
intersectional identities, Luis reflected on his
own identities as simultaneously privileged
and oppressed:
I reflect on the many ways I'm privileged
despite being a person of color. I'm still a
heterosexual, cisgender, able-bodied man with
a fairly middle class background. . . . I have
to recognize when I am part of the oppressed
and when I am an ally. Those are two distinct
paths to walk when engaging in social justice.
Similarly, Alex, a white male, reflected on his
privileged identities:
I have been getting more radical and critical
about the life I have. Especially in regards to
my racial beingness (sic) and learning how
to actually be an anti-racist ally to people
of color. . . . Gaining analytical tools and
knowledge of sociological theories has made
it much easier for me to delve into thinking
deeply and critically about myself in social
contexts.
Both Luis and Alex demonstrate how their

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3

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