Grounding Service Learning in Social Theory

This paper grounds the practice of service learning in a sociological understanding so that we may more fruitfully tie this pedagogy to our field. A base for such grounding can be found in the work of C. Wright Mills, who built on the work of John Dewey. We argue that incorporating sociologically in...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Teaching sociology 1999-10, Vol.27 (4), p.360-372
Main Authors: Hironimus-Wendt, Robert J., Lovell-Troy, Larry
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic learning
College campuses
College instruction
College students
Colleges & universities
Communities
Community life
Community service
Course Content
Curricula
Dewey (John)
Education
Educational activities
Educational Attainment
Educational Philosophy
Educational Research
Educational sociology
Experiential Learning
Higher Education
History and organization of sociology
History, theory and methodology
Internships
Learning
Learning Processes
Learning theory
Mills (C Wright)
Mills, Charles Wright
Mills, Charles Wright (1916-1962)
Organization of profession, research and teaching. Deontology. Sociology of sociology. Epistemology
Pedagogy
Program Content
Relationship
Service Learning
Social Services
Social Theories
Society
Sociology
Sociology Education
Student Development
Student Reaction
Students
Teaching
Teaching Methods
Theory
Theory Practice Relationship
Undergraduate Study
Universities
USA
Volunteers
Weber, Max (1864-1920)
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This paper grounds the practice of service learning in a sociological understanding so that we may more fruitfully tie this pedagogy to our field. A base for such grounding can be found in the work of C. Wright Mills, who built on the work of John Dewey. We argue that incorporating sociologically informed service learning into the curriculum is necessary for completing the progressive educational and social reforms sought by both, thus enabling us to fulfill Mills' "promise" for our discipline (Mills 1959). On the other hand, a sociologically uninformed service-learning experience may hinder, rather than help, the movement toward a just society because students may objectify community residents and blame them for their problems. Thus, we present potential problems associated with service-learning and argue for the concept of addressing key sociological insights prior to immersing students into a program of service-learning.
ISSN:0092-055X
1939-862X
DOI:10.2307/1319042