Assessing Critical Consciousness in Youth and Young Adults

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a scale to assess critical consciousness to be used as an assessment tool for assessing critical consciousness levels of individuals: first for prevention work, including programs that foster multicultural awareness and sensitivity, rites of passages, or racial socialization programs; and second for clinical work. The Critical Consciousness Inventory (CCI) is a nine‐item scale using a Guttman model of scaling. Two hundred participants of varying ethnic/racial backgrounds completed the scale. Psychometric properties of the scale are included. The scale differentiates individuals at diverse levels of critical consciousness development. The CCI is related to social dominance and stigma consciousness.