I’m giving a talk tomorrow to our Pyschology Department’s brown bag series entitled “You Call This Service? The Effect of Project Type on Deficiency Paradigms in a Service Learning Project.” The main theme of this talk is that unreflective service learning programs that emphasize altruistic service learning where the pedagogical emphasis is on “service” has deleterious effects for both the subject and object of service learning. From my article (currently under review The Journal of Political Science Education):
the programmatic emphasis with altruism focused service programs is on the community being served as “in need” rather than as a community with a pre-existing stock of assets (Kretzman and McKnight 1993). This deficiency paradigm (McKnight 1996) leads to a focus on what Eby (1998) calls McService or Service in a Box – a perspective on service that ignores the specific context in which the service takes place and thereby reinforces a paradigm of advantage and dependence.
Service learning is a very powerful and effective pedagogy. A number of studies find that the approach enhances students’ understanding of links between theory and practice, their problem-solving and critical thinking and their empathy towards social problems. But how do we keep our students and our institutions from developing a “do gooder” syndrome where they view their role as “saving” communities?
In the study I discuss tomorrow, I present very preliminary research that suggests that students gain a more complex relationship of low-income communities when service learning programs are designed to promote collaborative work rather than traditional forms of voluntarism. Altruism and giving of one’s time are important elements of a strong civic culture. However, my fear is that we train a generation of students who want to work for rather than with people in low income communities.
Theda Skocpol has a great critique of the change in civic participation from locally-based associations to national “professional advocacy” organizations that limit the range of voices in public discourse. I’m curious to hear about other’s experieince with service learning. Do students work collaboratively with communities or work for communities? Do the projects they engage in emphasize the community as deficient or as asset filled?
Comments 5
Alexander Daley — February 26, 2009
I think it is natural to want to help people in need. My personal belief is that you help those in need, even if (in doing so), the helping process hurts you. A society needs people to care about the welfare of their citizens. But, it must also have individuals who say, "My life is valuable, but not as valuable as saving _______". It is most definitely a superhero complex. However, it is the individuals who are willing to go outside the boundaries of social norms in order to protect the sheep...they are the wolves and the strongest within the society. Because they forfeit the security of their own lives to protect the lives of complete strangers. That is what it means to be a hero.
Dashiell Kramer — February 26, 2009
I agree with Alex. I believe that people natural are born to want to help others and themselves. Only when a child is trained not to do anything then they don't help others. People like the feeling that they get when they help someone in need. Tests have shown that when people are in bigger groups they tend not to help those in need but when in a smaller group they are more prone to actually help.
Jordana Bradburn — February 27, 2009
Im going to have to agree with both Dash and Alex. I do feel like we need a world that is willing to help out another out. I also feel that when you go out of your way to help another person out, it makes you feel better inside. Whether they know who helped them or not. I also believe in helping out people even when they haven't personally came to you to ask for your help. (Random Acts of Kindness) Even when people have a negative experience helping out another I think that they still need to be re-enforced to keep doing those things. A friend of mine and I were at In-N-Out one night and decided to buy a man sitting on the corner (who looked homeless) a hamburger and water in attempts to do a kind act for this stranger. Once we approached him and handing him the water and hamburger.. he looked at us and went "Oh.. water? No.. thanks. Uhh oh and thanks for the hamburger too.. I'd prefer money.. But thanks." Even though I was really turned off by the way he reacted, I still felt good that I did something for him, and still continue to do things of that nature, whether the person is grateful or not.
Bonnie McClure — March 4, 2009
"emphasis...is on the community being served as “in need” rather than as a community with a pre-existing stock of assets"
Wow, what a clear explanation of the problem! You've put a finger on something that has bothered me for a while.
When I was in college, I tried joining a service-learning project once and only once. The other team members behaved in a quite pretentious and elitist manner, shutting out newcomers like me. I somehow felt, though, that better things might well be brought out of the same people in a different situation, and that the service-learning environment itself was somehow at fault. I couldn't have said why at the time, however.
Perhaps service-learning instills an attitude of superiority--we are the helpers rather than the helped--and this spilled over to bad dynamics even among the helpers.
Jenny M. — July 22, 2009
I had an unfortunate experience in SL in graduate school. The professor that initiated the SL project was disorganized and as a result the team of grad students had no goal, no direction.
Even though funding for the project was dropped, the school "picked up the tab." The team could not function properly with such poor communication, miscommunication, and lack of leadership by this professor.
The team cared about the project but it became clear to us that the professor was incompetent and/or didn't care. I felt very badly for the people we were supposed to be helping.