Understanding First Year Students’ Motivations for Social Justice Engagement Presented by Heather Wilhelm-Routenberg and robbie routenberg of InciteChange! Consulting
• InciteChange! Consulting partners with colleagues, universities and nonprofit organizations engaging students, staff and faculty in reflection and skill development to deepen social justice conversations, practice, and impact. • Using various pedagogical models we assist individuals and organizations in acquiring the tools to foster sustainable social change.
Agenda • Introducing InciteChange! Consulting and webinar format • Talk together about strategies for participant engagement • Introduce Motivation Theory, it’s applicability to Student Development Theory and methods for application to social justice work • Collectively address the challenges of applying Motivation Theory • Concluding Remarks
Technology & Access • Use the Chat feature for thoughts/comments/questions during the presentation. • During facilitate discussion use the “talk” feature on the upper right of your screen. • Please turn your microphone OFF when not speaking (to eliminate disruption)
Webinar Objectives • Explore how practitioners can utilize students’ motivations for social justice involvement to reach a broader audience , to have a broader impact break group-think mentality. • Encourage the group to consider how a student’s degree of Intercultural Maturity impacts their reception of social justice concepts . • Celebrate that we’ve come together today as a community of scholar- practitioners committed to social justice education- and to learn from one another.
Group Discussion • What strategies do you currently use to try to reach a broader audience? • While we should celebrate participants who are already involved in social justice work, what would the benefit be of broadening your reach?
Motivation Theory “Aspiring social justice ally development: a conceptual model” (Edwards, 2006)
Three Motivations for Social Justice Engagement • Self-Interest - The motivation to care because the issues directly impact the individual or people close to them and they seek to create justice for these specific individuals. • Altruism - The motivation to care fueled by a desire to ‘help’ others (e.g., social groups they are not a part of) and create justice for them. • Social Justice - The motivation to care because they understand the interconnectedness of social issues and how working together creates justice for everyone. Edwards, K. E. (2006). Aspiring social justice ally identity development. NASPA Journal 43 (3), 39-60.
Motivation Theory Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation (Ryan and Deci, 2000)
Intrinsic Motivation • Pertains to an action one completes because it is personally interesting or enjoyable • Examples: “Self-Interest”, “Altruistic” and “Social Justice” as defined by Edwards (2006) Ryan, R.M. & Deci, E.L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25 , 54-67.
Extrinsic Motivation • Pertains to actions completed to attain results that are rooted in external factors/people • Examples: resume building, peer pressure/guilt, family pressures, class requirement Ryan, R.M. & Deci, E.L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and new directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25 , 54-67.
Group Discussion • What are you compromising in your approach to programming in order to draw in people who are extrinsically motivated? • What are you gaining?
Applying Motivation & Student Development Theories Exploring Barriers and Strategies for Motivation and Engagement
Theory Students Barrier to Engagement Strategy for Motivation & Engagement Group They are beginning to Committing to social justice Host programs in residence halls • Development acclimate to the work requires that one takes or other places where relationships Theory - university environment, risks and challenges their already exist. Tuckman, 1965 building trust, cohesion, worldview, practices that often Integrate curriculum into existing • and a sense of rely on an existing foundation courses, so students have extrinsic community with those of trust. motivation to engage while trust is around them building. Tip for challenging: Encourage • participants to take risks and share honestly. If this happens, the facilitators will have an opportunity to productively navigate conflict, creating a deeper connection where the group forms, can storm in productive ways that will lead to positive norming within the group.
Theory Students Barrier to Engagement Strategy for Motivation & Engagement Capitalize on the faculty/staff Cognitive They may exhibit Social justice engagement • partnership, working cohesively to Development - dualistic thinking heavily relies on both reflection market these events, knowing that King & Baxter believing that issues have and dialogue, two pedagogies faculty draw respected authority. Magolda 2005 one right and one wrong that recognize multiple truths Validate students as “knowers”. As answer, and may only and students as generators of • they build increasing confidence it respect the perspectives knowledge. leads to greater trust in self and of authorities as credible group. Check out Ryan & Deci’s and legitimate. (2000) Cognitive Evaluation Theory (i.e. you’re more likely to be intrinsically motivated when you feel competent in a task/action) Tip for challenging: Use videos, • articles, and other media to spark conversation, instead of starting with personal storytelling and reflection (b’c videos and media can be seen as authority.)
Theory Students Barrier to Engagement Strategy for Motivation & Engagement Find means to make the marketing Intrapersonal They may have an This lack of information may • appeal to students, so they can see the Development - undeveloped lead them to assume that relevance to themselves. King & Baxter understanding of others share their beliefs Try to have the marketing sent out by Magolda 2005 identities, values and and/or view these differences • groups whose focus (identity, hobby, cultures different from as threats. career) is similar to the participants their own. In this phase you are targeting so that they see that students have a lack of it is implicitly connected to them. awareness of one’s own Tip for challenging: In structuring values and identities and • the curriculum consider using media therefore others’ to present various beliefs or facilitate experiences can be a dialogue where participants are threatening. sharing these various beliefs. Bring in multiple perspectives to demonstrate “my experience is the that multiple perspectives exist and to only experience” draw that broader audience- regardless of identities!
Theory Students Barrier to Engagement Strategy for Motivation & Engagement Interpersonal They develop Because social justice education Partner with existing student • organizations where people of Development - relationships with people often relies on intergroup shared identities/worldview are King & Baxter who share their identities discussion, students who Magolda 2005 and worldview, and haven’t had significant already assembled to bring a therefore lack exposure exposure to these mixed workshop to their meeting. to other viewpoints and settings may feel unprepared Tip for challenging: Work with • experiences. They have and nervous. existing student organizations to bring two very different less exposure to issues of injustice except for ones organizations together for a that directly impact them workshop. This ensures some variety or people close to them. of identity, experience, and worldview. If they have a positive experience, then they will be more likely to engage across difference in the future.
Theory Students Barrier to Engagement Strategy for Motivation & Engagement Motivated by They care because the They lack desire to learn about Host single-issue forums and target • program marketing to students who “Self-Interest” issues directly impact the issues that don’t directly relate already are impacted by these issues - Edwards 2006 individual or people close to themselves or people close to them and they seek to to them. They do not see issues (directly or indirectly) may draw new create justice for these as interrelated. faces. specific individuals. Tip for challenging: Introduce • (explicitly or implicitly) the connections and intersections between identities. Through storytelling, draw out the empathy that participants feel for others in and outside of the room, based on other social identities.
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