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...