John Dewey, Critical Service-Learning, and the Struggle for Racial Justice

• In Event: The Role of Critical Service Learning in the Fight for Equity and Justice

Abstract

Service-learning aims to promote social transformation by providing students with civic engagement opportunities while meeting societal needs. However, service-learning has been critiqued for failing to address the root causes of oppression, particularly racial oppression (Mitchell, 2008). Some scholars have argued that these limitations have more to do with its practice than its theory (Berg, Lee, Buchanan, 2016). In contrast, this conceptual paper argues that these limitations to service-learning can be traced back to its foundational ideas within progressive education, and that thus, some of the limitations to service-learning go beyond simple adjustments in practice. By addressing the historical roots of service-learning’s limitations, this paper argues for a theoretical shift within service-learning to embrace more radical social change methods.

Author

• Joanne Tien, Stanford University