Intersecting Identities:
A Model of Self-Authorship Exploring
the Interactions of Spiritual and
Religious Life and Civic Engagement
Noel Habashy
Brian Patchcoski
Mariyah Salem
Overview
• A Review of the Model (I-E-O)
• Religion and Spirituality
• Social and Civic Engagement
• Environmental Integrations
• Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy
• Self-Authorship
• Conclusion
• Questions
Self-Authorship as an Outcome of the Interactions
between Spiritual and Religious Life and Civic
EngagementSocial and Civic
Engagement
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Human Aggregate
Organizational Environment
Constructed Environment
Physical Environment
Environmental Factors
(Strange & Banning, 2003)
Self-Authorship
Ability to Integrate Beliefs, Values, Identity, and Social Relations Internally
(Baxter Magolda, 2001; Kegan, 1994)
Self-efficacy Self-esteem
Self-esteemSelf-efficacy
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Synergistic Relationship (Chickering, 2006)
Knowledge, Identity, and Mature
Relationships (Kegan, 1994)
Purpose, Beliefs, Feelings, and Meanings
(Mezirow, 2000)
Communities of Practice
Service Learning/
Community Outreach
Familial/ Mentoring
Relationships
Intentional Reflection
(Blogging, etc.)
Social and Volunteer Leadership
Focus on Cognitive and Psychosocial Development
Social Activism
WHAT IS SPIRITUALITY?
WHAT IS RELIGION?
ARE THERE CONNECTIONS?
WHAT’S YOUR PERSPECTIVE…
Religion and Spirituality
• Two separate identities, but often
used interchangeably
• Spiritual and religious
development occurs through a
series of stages
• During emerging adulthood,
spiritual and/or religious identity
may change
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Spirituality and Spiritual Development
• Astin (2004) defined spirituality as:
• Values
• Meaning and Purpose
• Sense of “Connectedness”
• For Astin - eveyone qualifies as
being “spiritual”
• This definition used within our
model
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Spirituality and Spiritual Development
• Love and Talbot (1999):
•Personal Authenticity
•Genuineness
•Wholeness
•Congruent actions and beliefs
•Community relationships are
important to one’s
development of meaning,
purpose, and direction
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Religion
• Love (2001) defined religion as:
• Shared system of beliefs, principles
doctrines, values, and traditions
usually tied to a “being” or
“supernatural power”
• The “overlap”:
• Can be spiritual, but not religious
• Religious, but not spiritual
• and/ or Religious and spiritual
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Spiritual and Religious Engagement
• Kellogg Foundation (1997) argued:
•“The biggest challenge higher education faces revolves around developing character, conscience, citizenship, tolerance, civility, and individual and social responsibility in its students.”
•Spiritual and Religious engagement fosters these areas!
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Promoting Spiritual and Religious Engagement
• Social, volunteer, and community service activities are a manifestation of spiritual development (Love, 2001)
• Chickering (2006) states that spirituality is positively associated with:
• Charitable involvement and social action
• Connections to humanity
• Reducing pain and suffering
• The acceptance of others
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Promoting Spiritual and Religious Engagement
• A student’s academic, personal,
spiritual, and moral development are
influenced by participation in service
learning (Astin, 2004)
• Spiritual and religious engagement is
promoted through:
• Communities of service
• Practice
• Intentional self-reflection
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Promoting Spiritual and Religious
Engagement
• Kuh (2006) found:
•Spirituality-enhancing activities may have salutary effects on engagement in educationally purposeful activities and desired outcomes of college
• Contemplative practices allow:
•Commitment to civic and social issues
•Reflect on meaning in life and hope for difference (Kirsh, 2009)
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Spiritual, Religious, & Civic Engagement
• Chickering (2006) believed
that through these deep
commitments:
• Civic engagement and
Spirituality are synergistic
• Interact and complement
each other
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Social and Civic
Engagement
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Synergistic Relationship
(Chickering, 2006)
Spirituality & Civic Engagement
• Self-esteem
• Charitable involvement and social activism
• Reducing pain and suffering in the world
• Feeling connected to all humanity
• Compassionate self-concept
(Chickering, 2006)
Social and Civic
Engagement
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Spirituality & Civic Engagement
• Helping others in difficulty
• Understanding others
• Believing in the goodness of others
• Helping friends with personal problems
• Accepting others as they are
• Becoming a more loving person
(Chickering, 2006)
Social and Civic
Engagement
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Spirituality & Civic Engagement
• Improving the human condition
• The importance of promoting racial understanding
• Attending a racial/cultural awareness workshop
• Ability to get along with people of different races/cultures
• Growth in tolerance during college
(Chickering, 2006)
Social and Civic
Engagement
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Spirituality & Civic Engagement
• Outcomes related to civic engagement
(Chickering, 2006)
Social and Civic
Engagement
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Civic Engagement
• Working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes
(Ehrlich , 2000)
Social and Civic
Engagement
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Service Learning
• A form of experiential education
in which students engage in
activities that address human
and community needs together
with structured opportunities
intentionally designed to
promote learning and
development
(Jacoby , 1996)
Social and Civic
Engagement
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Service Learning
• …More racially aware and concerned about equality issues, and more concerned about poverty and larger socio-economic dynamics. They became more politically active and engaged with community issues… spent more time studying… and had more frequent contact with faculty.
(Chickering, 2006)
Social and Civic
Engagement
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Service Learning
• Correlation between service
learning and the outcomes of
self-confidence, social
responsibility, civic-mindedness,
self-esteem, and personal
efficacy
(Einfeld and Collins, 2008)
Social and Civic
Engagement
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Environmental
IntegrationSocial and Civic
Engagement
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Human Aggregate
Organizational Environment
Constructed Environment
Physical Environment
Environmental Factors
(Strange & Banning, 2003)
Self-efficacy Self-esteem
Self-esteem
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Synergistic Relationship (Chickering, 2006)
Communities of Practice
Service Learning/
Community Outreach
Familial/ Mentoring
Relationships
Intentional Reflection
(Blogging, etc.)
Social and Volunteer Leadership
Focus on Cognitive and Psychosocial Development
Social Activism
Social and Civic
Engagement
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Human Aggregate
Organizational Environment
Constructed Environment
Physical Environment
Environmental Factors
(Strange & Banning, 2003)
Self-efficacy Self-esteem
Self-esteemSelf-efficacy
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Synergistic Relationship (Chickering, 2006)
Communities of Practice
Service Learning/
Community Outreach
Familial/ Mentoring
Relationships
Intentional Reflection
(Blogging, etc.)
Social and Volunteer Leadership
Focus on Cognitive and Psychosocial Development
Social Activism
Self-Esteem and
Self-Efficacy
Self-Esteem and Self-Efficacy
• Chickering (2006)
•Spirituality is positively associated with self-
esteem and compassionate self-concept
• Hayman et al. (2007)
•Spiritual identity leads to more positive
feelings of self-worth and self-efficacy
encouraging one’s engagement in the
community and furthers the search for
one’s “internal” identity
Self-Authorship as an Outcome of the Interactions
between Spiritual and Religious Life and Civic
EngagementSocial and Civic
Engagement
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Human Aggregate
Organizational Environment
Constructed Environment
Physical Environment
Environmental Factors
(Strange & Banning, 2003)
Self-Authorship
Ability to Integrate Beliefs, Values, Identity, and Social Relations Internally
(Baxter Magolda, 2001; Kegan, 1994)
Self-efficacy Self-esteem
Self-esteemSelf-efficacy
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Synergistic Relationship (Chickering, 2006)
Knowledge, Identity, and Mature
Relationships (Kegan, 1994)
Purpose, Beliefs, Feelings, and Meanings
(Mezirow, 2000)
Communities of Practice
Service Learning/
Community Outreach
Familial/ Mentoring
Relationships
Intentional Reflection
(Blogging, etc.)
Social and Volunteer Leadership
Focus on Cognitive and Psychosocial Development
Social Activism
Self-Authorship
• Self-authorship is the ability to integrate beliefs,
values, identity, and social relations internally
(Baxter Magolda 2001; Kegan 1994).
• Students learn to operate on the basis of their
purposes, beliefs, feelings and meanings rather
than those they have acquired through external
authorities.
Self-Authorship
Ability to Integrate Beliefs, Values, Identity, and Social Relations Internally
(Baxter Magolda, 2001; Kegan, 1994) Knowledge, Identity, and Mature
Relationships (Kegan, 1994)
Purpose, Beliefs, Feelings, and Meanings
(Mezirow, 2000)
Kegan’s Three Dimensions
• Epistemological Dimension
• Intrapersonal Dimension
• Interpersonal Dimension
Self-Authorship
Ability to Integrate Beliefs, Values, Identity, and Social Relations Internally
(Baxter Magolda, 2001; Kegan, 1994) Knowledge, Identity, and Mature
Relationships (Kegan, 1994)
Purpose, Beliefs, Feelings, and Meanings
(Mezirow, 2000)
Building a System for Self Authorship
•Students need to:
•Trust their internal voice
•Build an internal foundation
•Secure internal commitments
Self-Authorship
Ability to Integrate Beliefs, Values, Identity, and Social Relations Internally
(Baxter Magolda, 2001; Kegan, 1994) Knowledge, Identity, and Mature
Relationships (Kegan, 1994)
Purpose, Beliefs, Feelings, and Meanings
(Mezirow, 2000)
Promoting Self Authorship
• Engaging in a reflective conversation
• Reflecting through journaling and
portfolios
• Educational programming based on the
Learning Partnerships Model (LPM)
Self-Authorship
Ability to Integrate Beliefs, Values, Identity, and Social Relations Internally
(Baxter Magolda, 2001; Kegan, 1994) Knowledge, Identity, and Mature
Relationships (Kegan, 1994)
Purpose, Beliefs, Feelings, and Meanings
(Mezirow, 2000)
Engaging in a Reflective Conversation
• Start with getting acquainted and building a
rapport.
• Once a certain level of comfort is reached the
student is encouraged to reflect on important
experiences.
• Students are asked to interpret these
reflections.
• Validate the student’s experiences.
Self-Authorship
Ability to Integrate Beliefs, Values, Identity, and Social Relations Internally
(Baxter Magolda, 2001; Kegan, 1994) Knowledge, Identity, and Mature
Relationships (Kegan, 1994)
Purpose, Beliefs, Feelings, and Meanings
(Mezirow, 2000)
Self Authorship & Service Learning
I feel less guilty because of being aware of
all the complex societal issues that lead to
that privilege makes me feel less individually
responsible for the privilege, but only
individually responsible for the awareness
and pro-activity in inequality…. Learning the
web of issues that surround privilege, I then
feel a greater sense of responsibility to work
on that
Basic Principles of LPM
•Validate students as knower's
•Situate learning in student
experiences
•Define learning as mutually
constructing meaning
Self-Authorship
Ability to Integrate Beliefs, Values, Identity, and Social Relations Internally
(Baxter Magolda, 2001; Kegan, 1994) Knowledge, Identity, and Mature
Relationships (Kegan, 1994)
Purpose, Beliefs, Feelings, and Meanings
(Mezirow, 2000)
Self-Authorship as an Outcome of the Interactions
between Spiritual and Religious Life and Civic
EngagementSocial and Civic
Engagement
Spiritual and
Religious Affiliations
Human Aggregate
Organizational Environment
Constructed Environment
Physical Environment
Environmental Factors
(Strange & Banning, 2003)
Self-Authorship
Ability to Integrate Beliefs, Values, Identity, and Social Relations Internally
(Baxter Magolda, 2001; Kegan, 1994)
Self-efficacy Self-esteem
Self-esteemSelf-efficacy
Morals/ Ethics
Beliefs
Religious
Institutions
Communities of
Practice
Group
Affiliations
Life Meaning and
Purpose
Familial
Connections
Contemplative
Practices
Service
Community
Outreach
Knowledge,
Skills, and
Values for
Difference
Quality of Life
Political and
Non-Political
Processes
Responsibility
to Community
Synergistic Relationship (Chickering, 2006)
Knowledge, Identity, and Mature
Relationships (Kegan, 1994)
Purpose, Beliefs, Feelings, and Meanings
(Mezirow, 2000)
Communities of Practice
Service Learning/
Community Outreach
Familial/ Mentoring
Relationships
Intentional Reflection
(Blogging, etc.)
Social and Volunteer Leadership
Focus on Cognitive and Psychosocial Development
Social Activism
Conclusion
• Practitioners should utilize models of students’
holistic development and determine ways to
integrate students’ cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal development in order to offer the
potential for more complex:
• Understandings of college student development
• Environments that enhance the complexity of a
students’ development (Abes, Jones, & McEwen, 2007)
Conclusion
• Recommendations for Implementation
• Engagement Opportunities
• Development of Meaning and Purpose
• Student Application
• Astin’s (2004) Definition
• Search for Meaning and Purpose
• All Students can engage in this process
Questions...