i Rethinking Diversity Ideologies: Critical Multiculturalism and its Implications for Social Justice Issues By © 2019 Pegah Naemi M.A., California State University, Sacramento, 2014 B.Sc., University of California, Davis, 2006 Submitted to the graduate degree program in Psychology and the Graduate Faculty of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Chair: Monica Biernat, Ph.D Co Chair: Glenn Adams, Ph.D Ludwin Molina, Ph.D Teri Garstka, Ph.D Darren Canady, MFA Date Defended: 27 June 2019 ii The dissertation committee for Pegah Naemi certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Rethinking Diversity Ideologies: Critical Multiculturalism and its Implications for Social Justice Issues Chair: Monica Biernat, Ph.D Co-Chair: Glenn Adams, Ph.D Date Approved: 7 July 2019 iii Abstract Social psychologists have long explored how colorblind and multicultural ideologies may improve intergroup relations. Criticisms from an epistemic standpoint of mainstream social psychological research discuss the inconsistencies of the effects/implications of these two ideologies on outcomes related to intergroup relations and prejudice reduction. Criticisms from a variety of critical epistemic perspectives suggest that, despite their antiracist origins, both ideologies have become incorporated into dominant cultural formations that reproduce white normativity, reflect white sensibilities, and serve white power. In light of these problems, education scholars discussed a different ideological approach to diversity, critical multiculturalism, which recognizes the importance of the contribution and participation of marginalized people in social and political domains and challenges oppressions that are perpetuated through dominate norms. In three studies, I examine how critical multiculturalism is a separable construct from multiculturalism, how it differentially predicts issues related to social justice, and its effect on social justice policies. White participants (Studies 1 – 3 ) responded to a diversity ideology scale that measured the extent to which they supported each of the diversity ideologies (Studies 1 – 2) including a general social justice policy measure (Study 1) and policies measures relevant to each type of ideology (Study 2). Results showed that although multiculturalism and critical multiculturalism were strongly positively related, critical multiculturalism was consistently a stronger predictor of social justice policies. Finally, participants read one of three diversity ideology passages (Study 3) to examine the effects of the ideologies on policy endorsement. Results showed little effect of the experimental manipulation on policy endorsement. These findings suggest that multiculturalism and critical multiculturalism may be variations of a single multicultural construct, but critical multiculturalism differentially and more strongly predicts social justice policies. iv Table of Contents Title Page ........................................................................................................................................................................................ i Acceptance Page ......................................................................................................................................................................... ii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................................................ v List of Figures .............................................................................................................................................................................. vi General Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................ 1 Study 1 ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 50 Method .................................................................................................................................................................................... 51 Results ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 55 Discussion .............................................................................................................................................................................. 59 Study 2 ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 62 Method .................................................................................................................................................................................... 63 Results and Discussion ..................................................................................................................................................... 65 Study 3 ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 73 Method .................................................................................................................................................................................... 73 Results ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 78 Supplemental analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 80 Discussion .............................................................................................................................................................................. 82 Aggregated Analysis Across Studies ............................................................................................................................... 84 General Discussion ................................................................................................................................................................. 88 References .................................................................................................................................................................................. 96 Tables ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 112 Figures ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 131 Appendix A (Study 1 Materials) ..................................................................................................................................... 135 Appendix B (Study 2 Materials) .................................................................................................................................... 143 Appendix C (Study 3 Materials) ..................................................................................................................................... 153 v List of Tables Table 1 (Overview of Diversity Ideologies) .............................................................................................................. 112 Table 2 (Qualitative Codes) ............................................................................................................................................. 113 Table 3 (Study 1 Interrater Reliability and Descriptive Statistics for Differences and Celebration Themes) .................................................................................................................................................................................... 114 Table 4 (Study 1 Interrater Reliability of Structural Disadvantage, Whiteness and Racism/Oppression) ........................................................................................................................................................... 115 Table 5 (Study 1 Bivariate Correlations of Diversity Ideologies, Identification Measures and Policy Endorsement) ........................................................................................................................................................................ 116 Table 6 (Study 1 Standard Multiple Regression Analysis for Variables Predicting Policy Endorsement) ........................................................................................................................................................................ 117 Table 7 (Study 2 Bivariate Correlations of Diversity