Bridging Social Issues and Local Community through Service Learning

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Casta ◽  
Grace Bangasan ◽  
Felicitas Boleyley
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Social Issues

Diverse Applications of Sociological Imagination: A Qualitative Study of Service-Learning Mentoring

2021 ◽  
pp. 193672442110213
Author(s):  
Laura C. Atkins ◽  
Shelley B. Grant
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Media Representations ◽  
At Risk Youth ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Student Mentors ◽  
Diverse Backgrounds ◽  
Personal Histories ◽  
Media And Crime

This project expands discussions regarding critical ways that students’ diverse backgrounds and experiences intertwine with service-learning and social justice. Educators need to empower the next generation to explore their views, apply their skills, and engage with social issues. The research intersects with complex conversations about students’ perspectives regarding media representations, justice system responses, and views of at-risk youth. The project spanned four semesters of a sociology of media and crime course with service-learning mentoring. Qualitative reflection data drawn from 104 participating student mentors provided insights into how service-learners’ unique personal histories and sociological imaginations inform their views of youth, the mentoring experience, and social justice. The findings focus attention upon diversity within classrooms and expand the conversation about social justice praxis and service-learning pedagogy. Through reflexivity, the researchers consider their own social justice and service-learning practices, and add to the call for greater reflexivity within community-engaged sociology classrooms.

scholarly journals The Impact of Cultural Immersion Experience on Identity Transformation Process

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2680
Author(s):  
Gloria Onosu
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Transformation Process ◽  
Identity Transformation ◽  
Cultural Immersion ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Immersion Experience ◽  
The Impact

This study focused on understanding the cultural immersion experience of students who participated in Study Abroad Programs (SAP) and Global Service Learning Programs (GSL). The study looked at how the immersion experience impacted the participants’ view of self and others upon re-entry into their local community. Specifically, we applied the perspective transformation theoretical framework to analyze the extent to which participation in cultural immersion programs transforms students’ perceptions of self and others. The analysis of the semi-structured interviews suggested that by engaging in intentional immersion and guided reflections, participants became aware of the need to reevaluate their perspectives, expectations, and assumptions about self and others. We also found that there were differences in the way participants experienced the cultural immersion process and the impact it had on cultural awareness and self-identity.

scholarly journals Reflections on the L’Aquila trial and the social dimensions of disaster risk

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Jonas Imperiale ◽  
Frank Vanclay
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Earthquake Swarm ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Community Empowerment ◽  
Court Case ◽  
Civil Protection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect on what can be learned about disaster risk reduction (DRR) from the L’Aquila trial of scientists. The court case was initiated because of a controversial meeting on 31 March 2009 of the Major Risks Committee (MRC), held under the auspices of the Italian Department of Civil Protection. The purpose of the meeting was to consider (prior to the fatal earthquake of 6 April 2009) disaster risk in the L’Aquila area, which was being affected by an earthquake swarm since October 2008. Design/methodology/approach The authors undertook a document analysis of trial materials, and a review of academic and media commentary about the trial. Findings The legal process revealed that disaster governance was inadequate and not informed by the DRR paradigm or international guidelines. Risk assessment was carried out only in a techno-scientific manner, with little acknowledgement of the social issues influencing risks at the local community level. There was no inclusion of local knowledge or engagement of local people in transformative DRR strategies. Originality/value Most previous commentary is inadequate in terms of not considering the institutional, scientific and social responsibilities for DRR as exposed by the trial. This paper is unique in that it considers the contents of the MRC meeting as well as all trial documents. It provides a comprehensive reflection on the implications of this case for DRR and the resilience of peoples and places at risk. It highlights that a switch from civil protection to community empowerment is needed to achieve sustainable outcomes at the local level.

Retaining social and cultural sustainability in the Hudson river watershed of New York, USA, a place-based participatory action research study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos J.L. Balsas
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Hudson River ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Sustainability ◽  
River Watershed

Purpose Societal problems have impacted the northeast of the USA for various generations. This paper aims to analyse various sustainability aspects in the Hudson River watershed of New York by highlighting a temporal progression from environmental sustainability at the watershed level in the 1970s to growing concerns with more localized cross-border social and cultural sustainability in recent decades. We discuss an engagement with the Rapp Road Historic District and a documentary screening series as potential ways to eliminate racism and embrace diversity. Design/methodology/approach The research was based on fieldwork and classroom teaching conducted mostly since summer 2014. It included mixed methods combining document analysis and reviews with the examination of case studies, and the assessment of public policy priorities. Findings Formal training has to be combined with a substantial dose of realism, humility and motivation to recognize that what the authors teach and research in the community matters. Future learning experiences within a place-based education paradigm could include: Having students help devise urban rehabilitation strategies whilst suggesting integrative measures with the surrounding built and natural environments; students could also help improve public spaces in the neighbourhood; and finally, they could also help to strengthen the cultural identity of the district by augmenting urban design features endogenous to the African American community. Practical implications Opportunities could be further augmented with service-learning projects and programmes, internships and even full-time jobs for recent graduates in local community development organizations. Social implications The study served to raise the community’s awareness of its own natural, ecological and human assets, and to create place-based real-world opportunities for students and faculty in environmental and cultural sustainability studies. Originality/value Environmental sustainability is discussed with the creation of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, whilst the public engagement with the Rapp Road Historic Association in the Capital Region of upstate New York, the identification of an emerging creative cluster in the Berkshires-Hudson region, and a documentary and discussion series on striving for diverse cities serve to demonstrate current concerns with social and cultural sustainability.

scholarly journals Spaces In-between: Text Poems from Community Practice and Research

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 114-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Gerstenblatt ◽  
Diane Rhodes ◽  
Lida Holst
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Community Practice ◽  
Community Members ◽  
University Partnerships ◽  
The Past ◽  
Teacher Researcher ◽  
Fellow Teacher ◽  
Artist Teacher

A commitment on the part of the academy to address social issues has increased over the past three decades, resulting in service learning courses, volunteering opportunities, and community-university partnerships. Faculty, staff, and community practitioners collaborating to lead these efforts often carry enormous responsibility and answer to often competing interests of students, community members, and universities. Using the experience of an scholar/artist/teacher in a university-community partnership founded by the first author in a racially polarized town, this article explores the potential of arts-based methods, specifically poetry and collage, to mitigate the consequence of this work. The format is a dialogue between two engaged teacher/researcher/practitioners and friends to clarify the hidden experience of the researcher with narrative truth to articulate and share not only experiences, but also lessons learned as a contribution to our fellow teacher/researcher/practitioners.

scholarly journals Collaborative Autoethnography: An Approach to Deliver Learning Objectives of a Community-Engaged Research Course for Health Science Undergraduates during Pandemic Times

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angie Mejia
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
University Of Minnesota ◽  
Engaged Learning ◽  
Community Agencies ◽  
Community Engaged Research ◽  
The University

Community Collaborative is an upper-division, community-engaged course at the University of Minnesota Rochester geared to health science majors. Each term, several groups of undergraduates collaborate on service-learning or research-based projects for local community agencies working on issues of health. A process was implemented to meet one learning objective in the syllabus (introduction to qualitative data methods) as a response to pandemic-imposed limitations on community-engaged learning activities at UMR. The hope was for one group of students to meet these objectives by engaging in a collaborative autoethnography instead of collecting data in the community.

Connecting Pedagogy, Preparation, and Passion

2021 ◽  
pp. 291-307
Author(s):  
Cheresa Greene Simpson ◽  
Gerrelyn Chunn Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Education ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Pedagogical Approach ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Pedagogical Strategy ◽  
Diverse Communities ◽  
Education Levels ◽  
The University

This chapter will address an engaging pedagogical strategy to prepare pre-service teachers to work in diverse communities challenged by social issues such as poverty and food instability. The chapter presents a service-learning pedagogical approach that creates a collaborative partnership between faculty, students, the university, and the greater community. It demonstrates how stakeholders can work and learn together within a common service-learning project that positively impacts change in diverse communities. The chapter will benefit faculty at the secondary and post-secondary education levels who are interested in enhancing teaching and learning through service learning, collaboration and community engagement.

scholarly journals In Search of Community; Humanitarian Engineers and Circles of Friends

2014 ◽  
pp. 509-524
Author(s):  
David R Munoz
Keyword(s):  
Service Learning ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Credit Union ◽  
School Construction ◽  
Community Project ◽  
Service Learning Projects ◽  
The Village ◽  
Learning Projects

Circles of friends (trust) as a means for indigenous community development have been actively encouraged in Colinas de Suiza, Honduras. This effort at enhancing long-term community resilience is the latest in a 10 year relationship that includes a water project and two school construction activities within the village of ~10,000 economically poor. These techniques were utilized in part to provide an example of communities in partnership for universities involved in developing educational programs around practically-based engineering service learning projects. To enhance community involvement, children were included in the development process through creative educational activities involving music, graphical arts and dance. The initial two-month experience culminated in a fiesta or celebration of community. Project evaluation has yielded several positive indigenous results; namely the construction of a dining hall, supported by the local community where poorest children are fed, and the formation of a locally managed credit union where the local people can place their savings and apply for microloans for microenterprise development. This project is further testament to the belief that humanitarian efforts are most effective when performed consistently within the same locations and where the entire community is invited to organize, identify, discuss and solve their own problems.

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