UC Santa Cruz

The ability to participate in public places and access public resources is important for individual and societal well-being, yet access to such resources is not equitable across racial and socioeconomic groups. The goal of this dissertation is to explore the psychosocial processes that facilitate civic engagement and lay the groundwork for social change, and to examine how participation in these processes can be made more accessible to marginalized community members. I utilized mixed methods to (a) test the psychological pathways facilitated by participation in place-based, community-oriented settings- specifically, museums- and (b) amplify the experiences of low-income residents and residents of color to document mechanisms of exclusion and avenues for enhancing inclusion. Analyses of questionnaires administered to 543 museum visitors found that museum participation was linked to significant increases in place attachment and to sense of community, both of which were associated with increased civic responsibility and intentions for civic action. Analyses of focus groups conducted with 39 low-income residents and residents of color not actively engaged in the museum shed light on ways in which access and participation in resource-rich places can be broadened to marginalized communities. Experiences of museums as unfamiliar, unaffordable, white and elite, and constraining, sterile spaces worked to exclude low-income residents and residents of color from cultural resources. Focus groups revealed insights for reducing barriers, amplifying the voices of community members who have been traditionally excluded from decision-making to explore how community settings can be made more inclusive and equitable. This dissertation has importance in understanding empowering processes that increase stakeholder access and engagement in public spaces and institutions.