Civic Identity Development at the Intersection of Faith and Learning: A Narrative Inquiry

Institutions of learning are discrete because of distinctive curricular and co-curricular programs, culture, history, and symbols. Thus, civic learning and identity development may differ across higher learning institutions, particularly in faith-based colleges and universities. This study sought to explore how Gethsemane College students make sense of their learning experiences in relation to civic identity development. I drew on relational developmental systems perspective to explore the mutual and bidirectional relationship between the participants and context. I collected documents and civic identity development narratives of eight graduating student sat Gethsemane College. Using qualitative content analysis and analysis of narratives in narrative inquiry, the findings revealed the mediating role of social identities, faith-learning integration, the influence of founding denomination, campus climate, civic contexts within Gethsemane College, institutional narratives, and pre-college civic experiences in the participants’ civic identity development. The participants civic identity development evolved in college. They transitioned from charitable actions to social change issues such as climate change and racial and environmental injustices. Global citizenship is an influential construct in how the participants think about their civic identities and citizenship.