Relations between ethnic-racial identity statuses and critical consciousness among Latine adolescents

Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development reflects the processes through which adolescents learn about their ethnic-racial background (i.e., exploration) and develop clarity about what it means to them (i.e., resolution). Research on ERI has been critiqued for not examining connections between ERI and broader social beliefs, such as critical consciousness (i.e., individuals' level of reflection about social oppression, motivation to take action against it, and the extent to which they take such action). When examining connections to ERI, research underscores the importance of considering individuals' patterns of exploration and resolution in tandem (i.e., ERI status) rather than analyzing them in isolation. Accordingly, the current study utilized latent profile analysis to examine how ERI status profiles were associated with dimensions of Latine adolescents' critical consciousness. Cross-sectional data came from Latine adolescents (n = 338, M_age = 16.30, SD: 1.11; 44% boys, 53% girls, 3% another gender) attending a U.S. southwestern high school. Findings revealed three ERI status profiles: Foreclosed (n = 132; lower exploration and higher resolution), Diffuse (n = 59; lower exploration and resolution), and Achieved (n = 147; higher exploration and resolution). Profiles did not significantly differ in critical reflection. The Achieved profile reported the highest critical motivation, the Diffuse profile reported the lowest, and the Foreclosed profile fell between them. The Achieved profile reported higher critical action than the other two profiles, which did not significantly differ from one another. Findings suggest that among Latine adolescents, engaging in ERI development is connected to feeling more agency to change unjust systems and engaging in more action against such systems, but higher ERI development does not necessarily reflect deeper engagement in questioning those systems (i.e., critical reflection).