Building the self-esteem of Latino/a adolescents via culturally relevant films

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of group discussion of culturally relevant film clips as a tool for increasing self-esteem in Latino/a youth. The study was conducted for 5 weeks with 15 self-identified Latino/a adolescents at an after school program in Southern California. Participants were encouraged to share their thoughts and feelings related to films depicting Latino/a narratives based in the Los Angeles area. Previous research on the therapeutic benefits of films focused primarily on adolescents in residential treatment programs, and films in the studies had not been utilized as a preventative tool. To test the efficacy of the culturally relevant film clips in increasing self-esteem, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was utilized as a pretest and posttest measurement tool. Results of the study suggested an increase in one item of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The results did not indicate a significant increase between the pretest totals and posttest totals. Suggestions for future research are included.