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Citizenship and service learning.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

Research on service learning often fails to distinguish between service learning projects that increase students' social connections to their communities and service learning projects that deepen students' political connections to their communities. This paper (1) explores the social and political components of citizenship (2) discusses the results of two service learning projects and (3) argues for the importance of designing service learning projects that cultivate both the social and political components of citizenship.

Introduction

If universities are to reach their goal of promoting citizenship, educators must take into consideration the different components of citizenship. Traditional service learning projects typically involve service learning projects that require students to volunteer services and time to community organizations. These types of service learning projects certainly strengthen students' connection to their communities and thus play an important role in the civic education of students. However, attention must also be given to service learning projects that focus more directly on students' understanding of government, their ability to use various political tools to influence government, and their desire to engage in direct political action. A combination of service learning projects that promote both the social and political components of citizenship is necessary if universities are to fulfill their goal of creating better citizens.

Student Patterns of Participation

Certainly the social component of citizenship is important. Universities' commitment to citizenship and service learning may be partially responsible for the high rates of volunteerism seen among today's college students. However, these high rates of volunteerism are not connected with high rates of political engagement. Scholarly work on youth and political activism indicates that the rate of political participation among America's youth has declined since the 1970s. A contradiction exists in students' current pattern of civic engagement: they volunteer at higher rates than previous generations, but they are less likely to vote and have less knowledge of government than previous generations (Hinds 2001).

Research on Service Learning and Citizenship

This contradiction in students' patterns of participation has been noted by researchers and many of the same researchers argue that service learning needs to be reconsidered in light of these research findings (Ball 2005; Hepburn, et al 2000; Hunter...

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