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Civic Narratives: Exploring the Civic Identity of Community College Students

Walkuski, Christy B
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1488979292765753

Abstract Details

2017, PHD, Kent State University, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration.
This narrative inquiry brings together a re-emerging interest in the civic mission of higher education and inquiry about individual civic identity development, with a lens focused on the currently underrepresented voices of community college students. The purpose of this study is to increase our understanding of the meaning that community college students make of their own civic actions and beliefs, in order to inform the work of faculty, administrators, and researchers regarding the role that higher education can play in the development of community college students’ civic identity. Additionally, these narratives of currently underrepresented voices and civic perspectives inform efforts to address the growing civic empowerment gap within our campus and community environments. The narratives included in this study demonstrated an expressed interest in community engagement from participants and a wide-ranging feeling of responsibility towards their communities, paired with tremendous concern about issues present in their communities, such as violence, poverty and racism. Positive influences on civic identity and engagement included: finding a connection to the campus community, faculty and staff invitations to get involved or take on leadership positions, student organization involvement and strong civic influences from civically active family members and/or religious organizations. Barriers to involvement included a lack of trust and connection within the greater community context, feeling excluded due to the political climate, and an expressed lack of understanding of how to get engaged, specifically related to working for social change efforts. While all participants actively voted in elections, the sense of effectiveness of political engagement was mixed. Charitable volunteerism was common amongst participants, although most did not see community service as an effective route towards social change. A focus on campus as a crucial community context for civic-skill building and a critical problem-posing pedagogy, based on the work of Paulo Freire, is highlighted as one potential opportunity for purposefully engaging community college students in the community issues relevant to them, while developing civic skills, knowledge and attitudes that can last far beyond their community college experience.
Natasha Levinson (Advisor)
236 p.
Adult Education; Community College Education; Community Colleges; Higher Education

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Walkuski, C. B. (2017). Civic Narratives: Exploring the Civic Identity of Community College Students [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1488979292765753

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Walkuski, Christy. Civic Narratives: Exploring the Civic Identity of Community College Students . 2017. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1488979292765753.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Walkuski, Christy. "Civic Narratives: Exploring the Civic Identity of Community College Students ." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1488979292765753

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1488979292765753
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© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.