Service Learning and the Significance of Students’ Racial Identities

• In Event: 162 - Section on Teaching and Learning in Sociology Paper Session. Teaching Sociology for Social Change

Abstract

Colleges herald service learning classes as a perfect tool to combine academic learning goals and community service to further both the growth of the student and the community. Since the “service” component exposes college students to individuals in the community who differ from them in their ethnoracial, socioeconomic, linguistic background, and age; these classes present an ideal opportunity to test Allport’s (1954) intergroup contact hypothesis. This theory stipulates that prejudice can be reduced if certain criteria are met. This case study about freshmen students’ service learning experiences with a local West African community tested this theory, and found that over the semester students’ stereotypes changed. In addition, this research project showed that the experiences of ethnoracial minority and/or immigrant students differed from their White peers. Due to their shared experiences because of race, ethnicity, language, and/or immigration status, these students were cultural insiders which enabled them to build more meaningful relationships with the community members.

Author

• Bernadette Ludwig, Wagner College