LatCrit Theory as a Framework for Social Justice Evaluation: Considerations for Evaluation and Evaluators

This chapter introduces the use of Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) as a framework for inciting change through Social Justice Evaluation (Mertens & Wilson, 2012; Neubauer, 2015, 2017). Informed by the foundational work of Valdes (1997) and Solorzano and Yosso (2001), the authors suggest that LatCrit informed evaluation is a transdisciplinary process that links theory with practice, scholarship with evaluation learnings, and our institutions with community, action, and change. The chapter provides an overview of the theory, synthesizes related literature, and describes a guiding framework anchored in four functions of LatCrit, detailing cultural values and methodological implications. A description of evaluator individual and collective critical reflective process ground the chapter to center the value that coauthors place on ideas developed in community through collaborative inquiry.