Back in May, before I created this blog, I ran into this column in USA Today: “Why you should take a service-learning course.” At first glance it is clearly an argument about the benefits of service-learning, its main thesis being that “Service-learning courses give you the opportunity to see how your voice and actions can make a difference in the real world.” The article goes on to list another series of benefits that these courses can bring to students’ academic and professional development, and, again, at first glance I’d say that I am in total agreement with them. Service-learning courses can definitely help you face new challenges, develop new strategies to deal with real life problems, discover new interests, and engage with a new set of peers. (I feel that during our class several of you talked about this kind of experiences.) The article also points out the way in which a service-learning experience can form part of your curriculum as a sort of internship.
Yet, despite the positive aspects raised by this column, I felt a bit uneasy about what I feel to be the article’s almost exclusive focus on the individual student’s role. In my opinion, it overemphasizes the individual’s “feel-good” experience as she helps a needy community. As we discussed in class, this is indeed important and valid, but the article seems to put the community almost exclusively in the receiving end, talking about “an organization that has limited resources and relies heavily on outside support.” Indeed, many of these organizations need support, this is precisely why they reach out to the University. Nevertheless, the organizations here appear to be passive recipients of our expertise and, ultimately, charity. They are not seen as active agents, with whom one needs to engage dialogically – discussing, rather than dictating; engaging, rather than just giving. Only such an approach to service-learning can move us away from the “charity” model to one of “solidarity” which seeks social justice as its end. With this in mind, I leave you with one of the last essays we read for our class, “Rethinking Volunteerism in America.”
Am I being too picky? Do you have any thoughts on the matter? Any experiences that address these questions?
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I do agree that members of communities that are being “served” in some way are often not seen as active agents. This may be in part because they (and we must include people of color here) have never been given the cultural advantage to act as such and may not know how valuable their skills and ideas are. Or perhaps they do know, but are not heard. I have received help of many varieties in my life, but as a white, educated female I have no clue how it must really feel to be a person of color in the United States. I do feel though that it’s essential that we approach service learning as a team effort and this must include representatives from the community.
En mi opinión, no sea quisquilloso decir que la perspectiva popular en relación a “service learning” tiene un aspecto más como caridad sino trabajo comunal. Los beneficios tengan que fluir por los dos lados y no funcionarÃa si el diálogo solo viene de un lado, que mayormente sea los estudiantes quien piensan que saben todo necesario para la comunidad. Por eso hay una tendencia que los servicios que proveen no hacen nada para la comunidad después de salir. La solidaridad les incorporan a la comunidad (de un aspecto) para que los necesitados estarán abordados. Si se pasa el cambio a solidaridad, puede reducir la probabilidad de formar un complejo de salvadores que resulta de la idea de caridad y el enfoque en los “sentimientos buenos”.
Creo que el primer artÃculo presenta una idea de “service-learning” muy unilateral, como dijo usted, Luis. Particularmente me molestó una frase que dijo la autora que “service-learning courses can help you decide on (or against) a major or solidify an existing interest in any particular career.” Aunque puede ser, creo que es muy ofensivo proponer “service-learning” como una oportunidad de descubrir o asegurarse de lo que quiere estudiar o hacer en el futuro. Estoy de acuerdo con la autora que la oportunidad de tomar una clase de “service-learning” vale la pena, pero no por las mismas razones. Es mucho más compleja que explicó ella. Toma mucho tiempo y a veces es difÃcil porque tiene que hablar y aprender de cosas muy complicadas y embarazosas como el racismo que todavÃa existe en nuestra sociedad. Por eso me gusta el segundo artÃculo que ofrece surgencias para cambiar la mentalidad de un voluntario y que demuestra que aunque gente dice que quiere ayudar a las comunidades menos privilegiada, no quiere dedicar mucho tiempo para hacer la ayuda.