Relational Social Justice Identity Development among Chinese International High School Students

Abstract

This research explored the development of a social justice orientation and identity in a sample of high school students in Hong Kong. A sample of 12 students, four teachers, the Principal, and the School Counselor were interviewed in depth about the roles of community service, service learning, and social justice in their identities and school activities. Grounded theory was used to analyze the interview data and six main themes and several subcategories emerged: Six themes emerged from the interview data: (1) Community service as a social experience; (2) Service as a personally rewarding experience; (3) Appreciation of cultural differences; (4) Self-awareness and selflessness; (5) Adult support for social justice; and (6) Challenges in developing a social justice agenda. Implications for social justice identity development in counseling and education are discussed.