Matthew Diemer

Professor, Combined Program in Education & Psychology + Educational Studies, University of Michigan

About Me

Matthew A. Diemer is a developmental psychologist who examines how young people analyze, negotiate, and challenge racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and other constraints in school, college, work, and civic/political institutions. He is particularly interested in how marginalized people develop critical consciousness, which is a careful analysis of societal inequalities, the motivation to produce social change, and participation in social or political action to challenge inequality. His recent work validates a critical consciousness scale and subsequently uses item response theory methods to streamline that scale.

Youth activism; youth organizing; critical consciousness; sociopolitical development; quantitative methodology

More Information:

• Stanford Bio

• Advancing Critical Consciousness, Methods & Equity Lab

Selected Publications & Projects

Diemer, M.A., Frisby, M.B., Pinedo, A., Bardelli, E., Elliot, E., Harris, E.M., McAlister, S. & Voight, A.M. (in press). Validation of the Short Critical Consciousness Scale (ShoCCS). Applied Developmental Science.

Diemer, M.A., Pinedo, A. Bañales, J., Mathews, C.J., Frisby, M.B., Harris, E.M. & McAlister, S. (2021). Recentering action in critical consciousness. Child Development Perspectives, 15(1), 12-17..

Diemer, M. A., Voight, A. M., Marchand, A. D., & Bañales, J.  (2019). Political identification, political ideology, and critical social analysis of inequality among marginalized youth. Developmental Psychology, 55(3), 538.

Rapa, L.J., Diemer, M.A. & Bañales, J. (2018). Critical action as a pathway to engagement & social mobility among marginalized youth. Developmental Psychology, 54(1), 127-137.

Selected recent projects: 

• “Youth organizing trajectories: Critical consciousness, developmental competencies, and school engagement.” (2017-2021). Funded by the William T Grant Foundation. With Sara McAlister (NYU). Mixed-methods project examining how youth organizing may impact critical consciousness & positive youth development among youth organizers, across multiple sites in the U.S.

• Exploring youth leadership councils: Developmental competencies, critical consciousness, and civic engagement. Funded by the Institute for Education Sciences. With Elise Harrs-Wilkerson (NYU). Mixed-methods project examining how youth leadership councils may impact critical consciousness & positive youth development among youth participants, situated in the New York City public schools.