Study: Minority women more likely to be involved in social justice movements

A study by researchers from N.C. State, the University of Chicago and the University of Michigan released earlier this month examined different motivations for individuals to participate in racial justice movements.

The study examined black and Latino students’ motivations to participate in movements like Black Lives Matter and advocacy supporting the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals legislation, which provides protections for illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

Elan Hope, assistant professor of psychology at N.C. State, led the study, which was co-authored by Micere Keels, a professor at the University of Chicago, and Myles Durkee, a research fellow at the University of Michigan.

Hope said they conducted the study because they wanted to understand more about current social movements and the students involved in them.

“This study gives us some insight into what is happening now — how these movements are shaping, and being shaped by, college students,” she said in a press release.

Hope said while the study showed female participation was higher in both movements, researchers were unable to determine why.

“One reason might be kind of the idea that black women are dealing with a black identity, but also a gendered identity and understanding marginalization from both perspectives,” she said.

Regan Buchanan, Campus Y co-president, said higher female involvement in social movements could also stem from social influences.

“It’s about socialization, right — women are socialized to be servers and givers and that kind of thing,” she said. “And I would argue that that’s, like, represented.”

Among black students, the study also found that previous political activism was the largest determinant of participation in both movements, while for Latino students the primary predictor for activism was experiencing racial microaggressions.

Hope said the study highlights students’ desires to positively contribute to social change, and she hopes administrators take notice.

“This will, hopefully, tell school administrators that it makes sense to support their students — and their mission statements — by offering a variety of courses with a social justice focus, and providing workshops that teach best practices for race/ethnicity-related activism,” she said.

Buchanan said exposure to one social justice issue can lead to awareness for others, and students of all backgrounds can find ways to get involved in these movements.

“I’ve noticed that other minority students are more likely to participate in movements that are supporting other minority students,” she said. “White students really need to step their game up.”

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