Advising and Identity Development: Insights for Political Science

Part of the college experience is to develop our sense of who we are, both as a person and as a professional. How we develop these identities can vary across groups and experiences. Advising can be a crucial part of helping students come to understand who they are as a professional. As students begin to think about their future careers, aspirations, and goals, faculty can help that process by providing feedback about their strengths, achievements, and help students find their interests in our field. This paper examines identity development in the context of advising and gives concrete examples of how to support students in political science, including differences that our discipline faces in comparison to others.