Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

6-2026

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Psychology

Advisor

Erika Y. Niwa

Committee Members

Yana Kuchirko

Jacob Shane

Jeremy Sawyer

Michelle Fine

Subject Categories

Developmental Psychology

Keywords

Critical consciousness; Civic engagement; Being Muslim; SA/SWANA students; Ethnic-racial discrimination; Sociopolitical development; Mixed methods

Abstract

In recent years, young people have navigated an increasingly polarized sociopolitical climate marked by racism, Islamophobia, and heightened racial violence (Cureton, 2023; Wegemer et al., 2025). These tensions have intensified in the current moment, shaped by the aftermath of October 7, activism for Palestinian rights, and the political climate of the Trump Administration. College campuses, which historically are sites of political activism and social transformation, are not neutral spaces. For SA/SWANA Muslim college students, these dynamics are intensified by systematic marginalization and a polarized political climate (Khamis, 2023).  In this dissertation, I examine how SA/SWANA Muslim students experience ethnic-racial discrimination, express critical consciousness, and engage in civic participation. This work aims to illuminate how these intersecting experiences relate to their beliefs about community change and their participation in social and their well-being.

To address this gap, I used a mixed-method design guided by three research questions. Quantitatively, I analyzed survey data from 365 Muslim SA/SWANA undergraduates in the City University of New York (CUNY) system. Using Latent Profile Analysis, I identified three distinct profiles: Constrained Advocates, Equity Advocates, and Principled Egalitarians. These profiles reflected different patterns of discrimination, perceived inequality, egalitarian beliefs, critical action, and civic engagement. Follow-up analyses showed that profile membership was associated with beliefs in community change and well-being. Students in the Constrained Advocates profile reported lower beliefs in community change and higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression relative to the two high-belief profiles (Equity Advocates and Principled Egalitarians).

Qualitatively, Reflexive Thematic Analysis of 365 open-ended responses revealed five themes illustrating how students understand inequality and community change: (1) Awareness of inequality and systemic barriers, (2) Identity as a source of strength and pride, (3) Experiences of discrimination and hypervisibility, (4) Negotiating identity and cultural responsibilities, and (5) Solidarity, hope, and commitment to social change. Taken together, these findings show that Muslim SA/SWANA students are critically aware of systemic barriers, draw strength from identity, and envision collective pathways for community change, even as they navigate discrimination and psychological strain. At a time when anti-Muslim bias continues to shape public life, this dissertation broadens dominant understandings of civic development by centering the sociopolitical conditions that shape Muslim students’ agency, well-being, and participation in social change

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