Critical Consciousness and Youth Political Activism

Abstract

Like previous generations, today's youth are engaging in political activism to positively transform their local communities and the broader society. This review applies critical consciousness theory to shed light on the factors that spur youth political activism and to highlight how developing critical consciousness engenders developmental benefits. Critical consciousness refers to structural and historical reasoning about inequality, motivation to promote social change, and political activism to bring about social equity. A succinct review of outcomes associated with critical consciousness is presented first, followed by a nuanced contemporary understanding of the precursors to youth critical consciousness development. In closing, this review highlights exciting emerging directions in this area of research and offers reflections on the trajectory of critical consciousness scholarship. All told, critical consciousness research illuminates a strength-based approach for supporting youth's healthy development that adequately attends to the psychological, historical, and structural facets of youth experience.