The Relationship between Awareness of Racism and Privilege Awareness among Southern European University Students

As immigrants enter a new country, their arrival generally results in demographic shifts that may challenge the perceptions of native-born members of the resident population. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between awareness of racism and privilege awareness in native-born students at a university located in a Southern European country experiencing an influx of immigrants. Two hundred and twelve students participated in the study. Bivariate correlations showed a significant positive relationship between students’ awareness of racism and their awareness of the privilege they possessed as native-born citizens. Implications for counsellors working with those facing the challenges of immigration are discussed.