The Role of Critical Consciousness in the Development of Adolescents’ Civic Purpose

Using longitudinal data from U.S. adolescents (N = 1,230; M = 16.3 years; 26.2% white; 53.2% cisgender girls; 49.2% LGBQ+), we assessed critical reflection (critical systems thinking, awareness of inequality, structural attributions of inequality), critical agency (drive, competence), and critical action (interpersonal, political) in relation to civic purpose (motivation, capacity, and engagement to impact the world). Critical systems thinking, the competence domain of critical agency, and interpersonal critical action were positively associated with changes in civic purpose, while structural attributions of inequality were negatively associated. This study provides evidence aligned with the critical positive youth development framework, connecting critical consciousness to adolescent civic purpose.