Identity Threat and Sense of Belonging in  Higher Education

This mixed-methods research proposal is inspired by the increasingly polarized political climate in the United States, which negatively stereotypes immigrants and poses a direct threat to their perceived social identity. Social identity threat is rooted in the concept of double consciousness, a term coined by W.E.B. Du Bois in his 1903 collection of essays and sketches, The Souls of Black Folk. Double consciousness describes the out-of-body experience in which marginalized and minoritized groups view their identities through the lens of the dominant societal group.

This study examines how social identity threat impacts immigrant students' sense of belonging while enrolled in undergraduate programs at predominantly white institutions. Sense of belonging refers to an emotional response and the idea of fitting in with peers within an academic context. For immigrant students, a diminished sense of belonging can be a significant risk factor, leading to social isolation and potentially hindering their academic adjustment. This may further exacerbate the existing achievement gap between immigrant students and their non-immigrant peers. I employed a Backward Design approach to frame this proposal, starting with formulating research questions, defining the study's outcomes, and selecting a mixed-methods approach along with appropriate measurement tools. This study aims to answer the following research questions:

1. How does social identity threat affect immigrant students’ sense of belonging in predominantly white higher education institutions in the United States?

2. To what extent does social identity threat influence undergraduate immigrant students attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs)?

3. In what ways do campus resources mitigate these effects?