Familial critical consciousness socialization: How key family theories can expand racial-ethnic socialization research among Asian American families

As systems of oppression (e.g., racism) become more evident in public consciousness, Asian American families are grappling with critical discussions about social justice and oppression. To define and explore these increasingly common conversations, we propose critical consciousness socialization as an important construct for socialization research among Asian American families. Critical consciousness socialization is the transmission of knowledge about, skills for, and behavioral orientations toward analyzing and challenging systems of oppression in the interest of social justice. This article applies theories in the developmental and family sciences (Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory and Family Systems Theory) to demonstrate future research directions for critical consciousness socialization among Asian American families. Given research suggesting that families are purveyors of information about social justice and power, research on critical consciousness socialization is important to explore the role of the family system in advancing—and actively participating in—movements towards social justice.