Diversity and Privilege:Exploring the Ethno-Cultural Empathy of

College Women MentorsDaisy Camacho, DePaul University

Nancy Deutsch, Ph.D., University of Virginia

Mentors and Mentoring Programs Can have a positive impact on the academic

achievement and wellbeing of adolescents (Karcher, 2008; Karcher, Kuperminc, Portwood, Sipe & Taylor, 2006).

Many programs are designed for youth “at risk”(Deutsch & Spencer, 2009).

Many mentors in organized mentoring programs are White/Caucasian and come from middle to upper class households (Spencer, 2007).

These disparities can lead to differences in experiences and predispositions that may impede connections between mentor and mentee (Deutsch & Spencer, 2009; Spencer, 2007; Sullivan, 2007)

Young Women Leaders Program (YWLP)

Mentors receive a semester-long training course covering issues facing adolescent girls and the YWLP curriculum

Weekly meetings throughout the duration of the program

College women mentor ~80 middle school girls at-risk for making poor academic, social, and/or emotional decisions per academic year

Mentors and mentees have a one-on-one relationship and meet three hours per week

Middle School Girls’ DemographicsLunch Frequency

Free 53.2% (N=41)

Reduced 10.4% (N=8)

Neither 31.2% (N=24)

Missing 5.2% (N=4)

Total 100% (N= 77)

Parental Education

Frequency

Some High School 10.4% (N= 8)

Finished High School 19.5% (N=15)

Some College 7.8% (N= 6)

Finished College 23.4 ((N=18)

More than College 10.4% (N= 8)

Missing 28.6% (N= 22)

Total 100% (N= 77)

Race/Ethnicity Frequency

African-American 40.3% (N= 31)

Caucasian 26.0% (N=20)

Multi-Racial 11.7% (N= 9)

Other 10.4% (N= 8)

Hispanic 9.1% (N= 7)

Asian American 1.3% (N= 1)

Missing 1.3% (N=1)

Total 100% (N=77)

Demographics of College Women MentorsIncome Frequency

$20,000 - $34,999 1.3% (N= 1)

$35,000 - $49,999 1.3% (N= 1)

$50,000 - $64,999 2.7% (N= 2)

$65,000 - $79,999 8% (N= 6)

$80,000 to $99,999 10.7% (N= 8)

$100,000 or more 38.7% (N= 29)

Missing 37.3% (N= 28)

Total 100% (N= 75)

Parental Education Frequency

Some High School 0% (N=0)

High School Degree 4.0% (N=3)

Some College 4.0% (N=3)

Two-year College Attended 1.3% (N=1)

Four-year College Degree 20.0% (N=15)

Post-Graduate Degree 45.3%(N=34)

Missing 25.3% (N=19)

Total 100% (N=75)

Race/Ethnicity Frequency

White 49.3% (N=37)

African-American 14.7% (N= 11)

Multi-Racial 6.7% (N= 5)

Asian/Pacific Islander 5.3% (N= 4)

Latino/ Hispanic 2.7% (N= 2)

Missing 21.3% (N=16)

Total 100% (N=75)

Questions ExploredR1) Do college women who participate in a combined

group and one-on-one mentoring program for middle school girls increase ethno-cultural empathy after participating in the program for one year when compared to a control group?

H1: There will be a positive difference in ethno-cultural empathy from pre to post participation in the program.

H2: There will be a significant difference between the college women who participated in the mentoring program when compared to the control group.

Questions ExploredR2: How do college women talk about their

experiences in confronting ethno-cultural differences in a heterogeneous mentoring group?

Appreciating

cultural differences and values

Strength-Based

Approach

Mutually Benefici

al Relation

ships

Connection

Methods: Materials and Procedure

Scale of Ethno-Cultural Empathy (Wang, et al., 2003)› Using bottom 50th percentile› T-test and ANCOVA

All mentors interviewed after program participation› N=5 interview transcripts

Results T-test showed a negative change in ethno-

cultural empathy after one year for the mentors on the SEE (N = 27); t (26) = 2.611, p = .015.

There was no significant difference in ethno-cultural empathy at post-test, controlling for pre-test scores, between the mentors (N=27) and the control participants (N=34), F (1, 58) = .049, p = .826).

Results• Mindful of context when speaking of their mentees

and their families• “they were rude”

Appreciating cultural differences and values

• Chores, no phone, language• “Her culture will hold her back”

Strength-Based Approach

• Community Exposure• Helped them learn about themselves (or not)

Mutually Beneficial Relationships

•Involved family and mothers in relationship fostering•Not knowing why mentee no longer wanted to participateConnection

Continuously made reference to the training that they received

Becoming cognizant of privilege

DiscussionWhy was there a negative change in the SEE?• Becoming aware of privilege• Not enough time to grapple with diversity• High-scoring bottom 50th percentile• It is normal development

Future Research• Other aspects of mentoring• Curriculum development• Mentees’ point of view

Implications for Practice• Mentor Development

o Foster mutually-beneficial relationshipso Encourage strength-based approach

Limitations• High scores in SEE limit the amount of growth that can occur• Sample size of interviews