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The Impact of Service Learning on Democratic and Civic Values

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2013

Susan Hunter  and
Richard A. Brisbin Jr.
Susan Hunter
Affiliation:
West Virginia University
Richard A. Brisbin Jr.
Affiliation:
West Virginia University
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Extract

Throughout the twentieth century, American scholars and political pundits have argued that the survival of democratic political institutions and an ethic of concern for the welfare of others in the political community depended on ensuring all citizens received a high-quality civic education. Despite repeated efforts to act on this concern, empirical evidence suggests that a substantial number of Americans continue to be ignorant of how best to express their political demands, lack essential factual knowledge about political institutions and policies, and fail to acquire more information about politics and policy (Barber and Battistoni 1993, 235; Battistoni 1985).

Recently, service learning has been put forward as a means for increasing students' limited knowledge about democratic politics and general sense of civic responsibility. Service learning is a form of experiential education that combines structured opportunities for learning academic skills, reflection on the normative dimensions of civic life, and experiential activity that addresses community needs or assists individuals, families, and communities in need (Eyler and Giles 1999, 3-5; Gray et al. 1999, 4-5, 7-8; Jacoby 1996, 5-10). Many proponents of service learning argue that it provides experiences that can change students' frame of reference for or perspective on people and their problems; leads students to see links between theory and practice; teaches students social problem-solving techniques, interpersonal skills, and critical thinking; provides students with education in citizenship; engages the school as well as the student in democratic governance; and involves schools “sympathetically and productively” with the communities they serve (Eyler and Giles 1999, 7-19, 23-163; Gray et al. 1999, 1-2).

Type
Service Learning in Political Science
Information
PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 33 , Issue 3 , September 2000 , pp. 623 - 626
Copyright
Copyright © The American Political Science Association 2000

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Footnotes

*

We thank Michael Goldcamp, John Poffenbarger, and Frank Vaughan for assisting with data management. We also thank the faculty members who permitted us to conduct surveys in their classes.

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