Exploring Students' Agentic and Multidimensional Perceptions of Oppressive Campus Environments: The Development of a Transformational Impetus

Abstract

The campus climate literature obscures the complexity of individuals' perspectives in relation to multiple dimensions of the broader learning environment. Unexamined are the ways students from marginalized backgrounds may respond to oppressive dimensions of the campus climates in unique ways that moderate observed outcome differences. To fill this gap,

Plantando Raices en el Nuevo Sur: Mexican-Origin First-Generation College Students’ Transformational Impetus in New Destination States

“…Precisely, this study examines students’ perspectives within the NS’s sociopolitical context that, broadly, denigrates racially minoritized people and, specifically, members of the pan ethnic Latinx group. As this study invites connections among generation to college status, Mexican-origin students, and understandings of equity and social justice as mechanisms of community benefit, it furthers the application of transformational impetus theory toward the “survival and resistance to racial and other intersecting forms of oppression” that Abrica and Hatch-Tocaimaza (2019, p. 511) suggest for scholars who incorporate transformational impetus theorizations in their scholarship.…”

“…Theoretically orienting our research with transformational impetus (Abrica, 2019; Abrica & Hatch-Tocaimaza, 2019; Luedke, 2020; Rodríguez, 2010) aligns with prior applications of the theory. More specifically, transformational impetus in this study illuminates Mexican-origin students’ awareness of equity and social justice tools to advocate for community uplift and students’ perceptions of possessing the necessary tools and knowledge to discuss and advocate for issues impacting their communities.…”

“…For example, it can be theorized from our study that CGCS are likely to have relatively more robust networks to facilitate their lives and potentially provide a buffer against racialized and systemic oppression in the NS. Furthermore, slightly favorable views of the sociopolitical context among both groups, calls for further examination of how Mexican-origin students experience the NS, especially in connection with transformational impetus (Abrica, 2019; Abrica & Hatch-Tocaimaza, 2019; Luedke, 2020; Rodríguez, 2010) as this concept centers students’ determination to challenge inequality in response to their experiences with marginalization.…”

“…Therefore, this study examines Mexican-origin first-generation college students’ (FGCS) transformational impetus (Abrica, 2019; Abrica & Hatch-Tocaimaza, 2019; Luedke, 2020; Rodríguez, 2010) within the sociopolitical context of the NS, where our participants resided at the time of the study. Participant inclusion in this study required residence in the NS.…”

Black Students’ Perceptions of Campus Climates and the Effect on Academic Resilience

“…Future research should explore the associations between campus climates and academic resilience among students from multiple postsecondary institutions, including those who delayed or discontinued studies to better assess differences in perceptions of campus climates within Black college student populations and across institutions. Given the differential associations between each form of campus climate and academic resilience, future studies should concurrently explore multiple forms of campus climate including those related to intersecting forms of oppression (e.g., racism, sexism, and homophobia; Abrica & Hatch-Tocaimaza, 2019) that may influence academic resilience among Black college students. Recent academic resilience scales have been validated with non-U.S. samples (e.g., Cassidy, 2016), but not with Black college students in the U.S..…”