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Experiencing diversity through service learning.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

Support for diversity education is growing rapidly within the criminal justice field. Changes in student demographics and pressures from criminal justice agencies have encouraged criminal justice programs to revise their curriculum. Service learning is a method through which an understanding of cultural diversity can be taught. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of service learning techniques to expose students to diversity.

Introduction

Support for diversity education is growing rapidly within criminal justice. Significant changes in student demographics, shifts in cultural values, and pressures from criminal justice agencies have encouraged criminal justice programs to revise their curriculum (Nielsen & Perry, 2000). As a result, universities around the country are adding courses on topics such as gender, race and ethnicity, and cultural diversity (Nielsen & Perry, 2000). Service learning is a method through which an understanding of cultural diversity can be taught. When done effectively, service learning can be a powerful learning experience. Moreover, it is a valuable teaching tool used to strengthen one's ability to work with others and to appreciate and understand social problems.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of service learning to expose students to diversity. This paper provides two different classroom examples of service learning approaches that expose students to difference. A review of the literature focuses on the positive impact of using service learning in the classroom.

The Study of Diversity

As criminal justice educators, we are presented with a significant challenge: to communicate an awareness of diversity in an effective and meaningful way (Barak, 1991). Incorporating cultural diversity within the criminal justice curriculum allows students to see in plural ways, so that they are not seeing through the lenses of any single culture, but understanding the relationship of cultures to each other (Barak, 1991). According to McTighe-Musil (2002), teaching students about diversity assists them to deal constructively with issues of differences and to develop respect for and become aware of the views, interactions, and contributions of various ethnic groups to U.S. society and culture. But how do we do this in the classroom? One effective method of exposing students to various cultures is through service learning activities.

Service Learning

A common definition of service learning has yet to emerge. One source defines service learning as an instructional methodology that encourages and facilitates student's involvement in settings where they can apply academic knowledge and previous experiences to meet community needs (Lersch, 1997). Another study describes service learning as a form of experiential learning where students and faculty collaborate with communities to address problems and issues, simultaneously gaining...

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