Theoretical Issues

							Achieving Diversity through
Service-Learning: Practical
Suggestions for Developing
  Curricula & Evaluating
    Diversity Outcomes

   Susan C. Harris, Ph.D. & Carol Brown, M.A.
        University of Southern California


   Association of American Colleges & Universities
    Diversity, Learning, and Inclusive Excellence:
        Accelerating and Assessing Progress

                  Long Beach, CA
                 October 17, 2008
       Overview of Presentation
   Goal: to identify effective ways to incorporate
    diversity related objectives into service learning
    courses and programs
   Importance of diversity
   Ways in which diversity is conceptualized,
    incorporated, and assessed in the service-
    learning field
   Common problems
   Practical Applications for designing rigorous
    service-learning programs that achieve positive
    diversity related outcomes
                      Diversity
   Diversity as a university mission
    – Diversity requirements on campus can play a role in
      reducing racial prejudice
    – AAC&U’s Making Excellence Inclusive
                          Diversity
   Diversity as a primary goal/outcome for service-
    learning
    – Service-learning participation is often found to reduce
      negative stereotypes & increase tolerance of diversity
    – Overlap in goals of higher education & service-
      learning




              (References: Eyler & Giles Jr., 1999; Milem, Chang, & Antonio, 2005)
                    Educators’ Views:
             The Essential Learning Outcomes
• Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural
  World
    – Through study in the sciences and mathematics, social sciences,
       humanities, histories, languages, and the arts
    Focused by engagement with big questions, both contemporary and
    enduring

• Intellectual and Practical Skills, including
    – Inquiry and analysis
    – Critical and creative thinking
    – Written and oral communication
    – Quantitative literacy
    – Information literacy
    – Teamwork and problem solving
    Practiced extensively, across the curriculum, in the context of
    progressively more challenging problems, projects, and standards for
    performance
                     Educators’ Views:
              The Essential Learning Outcomes

• Personal and Social Responsibility, Including
    – Civic knowledge and engagement—local and global
    – Intercultural knowledge and competence
    – Ethical reasoning and action
    – Foundations and skills for lifelong learning
    Anchored through active involvement with diverse communities and real
    world challenges

• Integrative Learning, including
    – Synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized
    Demonstrated through the application of knowledge, skills, and
    responsibilities to new settings and complex problems

                                           Source: Schneider, 2008, AAC&U
      Service-learning and Diversity
   Conceptualizations of diversity in the
    service-learning literature:
    – Diversity as an attitude
    – Diversity as a practice, policy or skill
    – Diversity as a learning outcome
                  Assessment
   Quantitative assessment
    – In service-learning
    – Looking to other fields as a starting point
   Qualitative assessment
    – Useful way to assess not only student
      attitudes but also how students are
      connecting class content to their experiences
      in the community
           Teaching Diversity
 Review of select service-learning course
  syllabi (from www.campuscompact.org)
 Sociology: 41 syllabi, 26 that deal with
  diversity in some way
    – Explicit goal of the course
    – Topic of assignments
    – Topic of readings (most common)
    – Goal of service-learning
    USC Joint Educational Project


 Established in 1972
 Places approximately 1000 students in
  service-learning assignments every
  semester
 Peer educator model “(Program
  Assistants”)
Source: USC Civic and Community Relations
    USC student body (Fall 2007)
 Population: 33,408 students, approximately half
  of which are undergraduates at the “University
  Park” campus
 Race & Ethnicity:
    –   6% African American
    –   22% Asian American
    –   13% Latino
    –   1% Native American
    –   47% White
   5800 international students:
    – 27% from India
    – 42% from east Asian countries
    – 4.4% from Canada
University Park Community (2000 Census)
   Population: 66,832   (excludes on-campus student population)
   Race & Ethnicity:
    –   21% African American
    –   8% Asian American
    –   57% Latino
    –   1% Other
    –   11% White (non-Hispanic)
   Large immigrant population:
    – 44% of population foreign born
          38% from Mexico
          24% from El Salvador
          10% from Guatemala
    – 61% speak a language other than English at home
    Learning Diversity
through Service-Learning
    Learning Diversity
through Service-Learning
    Learning Diversity
through Service-Learning
    Learning Diversity
through Service-Learning
            Exposure ≠ Understanding
   Analysis of Students’ Early Essays
    – Stereotyping: Tendency to make unwarranted, stereotyped,
      and sometimes racist conclusions based on selective
      perceptions.
        “The Mexican kids in the class are at a disadvantage, compared to
         the black kids, because none of them speak English as their native
         language.”
        “These children have tended to be somewhat noisy, which is
         disrespectful, as I am rather certain that most of the time they
         (eventually) notice that I am reading with a student in the hallway.
         They also act rather inappropriately; for example, I discovered that
         one or two boys were spitting over the railing onto the steps below
         …. Furthermore, their topics of conversation are not appropriate for
         their age levels. … Perhaps these children have grown up
         without their parents around as much, and therefore they
         do not always understand that discipline is usually not
         optional.”
     Analysis of Students’ Early Essays

   Analysis of Students’ Early Essays
    – “N of 1”: The problem of making sweeping generalizations
      about an entire group based on only one or two examples or
      instances.
        “Aldo told me that his mother babysits during the day and works at
         the factory at night. All the parents are working 2-3 jobs to
         support their families, leaving them with no time or energy
         to help their kids with their homework.”
     Analysis of Students’ Early Essays

   Analysis of Students’ Early Essays
    – “Blaming the Victim”: Assuming that individual qualities and
      characteristics explain entirely why a person lives in poverty, is
      unemployed, etc. Ignoring the social factors that affect the
      conditions of the community and its residents.
         “Maria seems bright enough but lazy. She is big for a ten year old
          and seems to have a good vocabulary, but clearly does not like
          school. When I asked her to do the times tables with me she told
          me that ‘math is boring.’ It’s hard to stay motivated and give of
          myself when I encounter such a negative attitude toward education.
          Don’t these people realize that education is the way out of
          the miserable life in this neighborhood?”
     Analysis of Students’ Early Essays
   Common problems
    – “Mind-Reading”: Assuming that one knows the underlying
      causes or reasons for a person’s behavior. Drawing conclusions
      based on very limited evidence or on one’s own projections.
        “Some of the parents stressed education and would walk their kid
         all the way into class and even stay a few minutes into class. While
         other parents we never saw.”
        “When riding my bike through Vermont Ave. I see the poverty
         displayed in many ways. For the most part, very little people own
         cars. Most people ride the bus. Mothers walk with their babies in
         strollers and little children beside them run down past shops of
         thrift stores and pawnshops. The elderly are often also walking
         long distances to the supermarket. These people are always
         poorly dressed often with unhappy looks on their faces. I
         don’t blame them. It’s almost a tease to see SC students
         like me riding their bikes in their Adidas pants and brand
         name shirt.”
     Analysis of Students’ Early Essays
   Common problems
    – “White Knight Syndrome”: A term that describes students
      (regardless of race) who believe their purpose as service-
      learning students is to single-handedly uplift community
      residents. Students see themselves primarily as charity
      providers whose very presence in the community offers children
      a better shot at success in life.
        “I look at these kids and watch as they proudly show their affiliated
         gang walks and throw their hand signs. How can this end? Who
         will be the one to make those empowered to create change
         feel that they have to? I don’t know, but I do know that I, for
         one, will try.”
        I initially joined JEP for the extra credit that IR 210 offered, but
         now … I am glad that I am participating in JEP. I can help kids
         learn and become more contributing citizens. In addition, I am glad
         that I am going to make an influence in the lives of my students. I
         am going to hopefully tell them that they can make it in life and
         that they will be able to better themselves through education.
     Analysis of Students’ Early Essays

   Common problems
    – Unwillingness to consider the salience of race,
      class, gender
         “When will we stop asking questions about race and gender?
          People will not start to be treated based on their whole
          person unless we start treating them like their whole person.
          Why then are we asking these questions about men and
          women? … Maybe if people didn’t try so hard to pick
          on things like height, weight, gender and skin color
          then these discrepancies would correct themselves.”



(Sources: JEP students’ journals and on-line discussions; Hondagneu-Sotelo & Raskoff, 1994)
    Learning Diversity
through Service-Learning
•   Student backgrounds
    • Awareness of student diversity
    • (Pre-)assessment of students
    Learning Diversity
through Service-Learning
   Preparation
    – Designing course with outcomes in mind
    – Preparing students for their service-learning
      assignments
    Learning Diversity
through Service-Learning
   Service-Learning Assignments
    – Meaningful, mutually beneficial experiences
    – Partnership model
    – Engage students with difference
    Learning Diversity
through Service-Learning
   Reflection
    – Developmentally-minded
    – Recurrent throughout the semester
    – Employs multiple modalities
    – Designed to link course concepts with
      community experiences
    – Aligned with other course goals re: diversity
    – Process-oriented
    – Frames students’ experiences
     Reflection: Framing Students’ Experiences


“THIS HOUSE
 MAY BE SMALL
BUT THERE IS
ROOM FOR ALL
FRIENDS
 GOD LOVE”
Stage One: Shock
   Journal responses are characterized by varying levels of shock,
    surprise, disbelief, and discomfort.
    Comments focus on vast, perceived differences between
    themselves and those with whom they are working. Alternatively
    (or in addition), they may focus on the newness of their role and
    how they are attempting to adjust to it.
    Responses likely to be emotion-laden in this phase.
     • “One thing’s for sure, my life story and the life stories of the students in
       Vermont Avenue Elementary School’s 5th grade classroom are drastically
       different, if not completely opposite. Being the spoiled suburban child
       from Silicon Valley that I am, I didn’t expect such a brash difference
       between my elementary school and Vermont Ave. … I was astonished
       at the reading and mathematical level of the students; furthermore,
       within the hour that composed my first day with JEP I lost all
       confidence in whatever educational system California claims to have.”
Stage Two: Normalization
   After two or three weeks, students begin to adapt to new their
    environment and role and the initial shock begins to wear off.
   Students begin to see more similarities between themselves and
    those with whom they are working -- they develop greater empathy
    for others.
    Students may begin to question stereotypes about the demographic
    groups at the site, writing in detail about individuals’ characters,
    personalities, etc., and how they don’t fit the stereotypic mold.
     – “In an intangible, vague way, I feel deeply connected with the students.
       … the first day was full of awkward conversations, I think I was trying to
       win their trust in my ability to help them learn and feel comfortable in
       learning. Initially, I was nervous but as the students began smiling and
       enjoying our reading sessions, I also began to get more comfortable.”
                              Reflection
Stage Three: Engagement
   In this stage, students begin raising causal questions and seeking
    answers to the problems raised in earlier stages.
   Students become better at using their “sociological imaginations,”
    developing theories that attempt to understand individuals’ lives
    within the particular structural and historical contexts in which they
    are lived. It is in this stage when students are best able to relate
    their course material to the lives of the individuals with whom they
    are working.
    Students’ responses become less focused on their own feelings
    about their experiences and more analytical. Journals may be no
    less “emotional,” however, as students may become quite
    passionate about issues of social justice, social change, etc.
Stage Three: Engagement
   “The inability to find high-wage jobs confines many Americans to a low standard of
    living. The existence of occupational inequality has significant negative influences on
    families in poor neighborhoods, not only because it causes many more obvious and
    immediate social problems such as child poverty and lack of medical benefits, but
    also because it aggravates economic inequality in society. Occupational inequality is
    evident in the neighborhood near my JEP site. According to the 2000 census, 45% of
    the community residents are employed in the manufacturing and servicing sector of
    the economy, whereas only 28% of the workers in Los Angeles County are employed
    in such industries. In addition, merely 14% of the community residents are actually
    employed in managerial and professional occupations. Although there are numerous
    other social problems that are affecting the community residents with whom I have
    worked, these problems are symptoms of a more serious social problem –
    occupational inequality. As a structural problem it plays a part in social reproduction
    and the perpetuation of poverty. Only by addressing and solving the problem of
    occupational inequality, can we begin to understand and solve other social problems.


Model Source: Rockquemore & Schaffer (2000). Toward a Theory of Engagement: A Cognitive
  Mapping of Service-Learning Experiences. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning,
  (Vol. 7), 14-25. (Quotes from JEP students)
•   Begin with relatively unstructured, open-
    ended assignments
    • Note first impressions, early experiences
    • Describe site (physical and social
      characteristics)
    • Adjust to new role
    • Set goals and expectations
   WEEK ONE - First Impressions at Your JEP Site
    Describe your initial experience at your JEP assignment. Include a
    detailed description of the responsibilities and activities involved in your
    particular assignment. What are your most vivid impressions of the site?
    What were some of your expectations prior to beginning your assignment?
    How do your experiences during Week One compare to your expectations?

   WEEK TWO - The Social and Physical Context
    Describe the social and physical context of your JEP site. Try to be
    as specific as possible about the number of people that are there, as well as
    the age, sex, race, ethnicity, and any other significant characteristics of all
    those involved in your JEP assignment. Walk or look around your site and
    take in the environment; specifically, provide details about the size, space,
    decor, noise level, etc. of the classroom (or meeting room), the building(s)
    making up the site, and its grounds. How does the site compare to the
    schools you attended as a child? What are some of the main difference and
    similarities? Do you think that these differences or similarities have any
    impact on the learning experiences of students at the site?
                   Reflection
   After allowing time for students to adjust
    to their new roles, help them set the
    context for their experiences
    – Look up information about the demographic
      characteristics of the community
    – Research laws and policies that impact
      individuals
    – Connect macro and micro processes
    – Assessment of context at site
WEEK THREE - Families and Households in the Neighborhood (SOCI 1609: Changing Family Forms)
Go to the U.S. Census Bureau to gather information about the families living in the neighborhood surrounding your site:

1. Go to www.factfinder.census.gov/
2. Enter the address for your JEP site in the “address search” box on the lower left side of the screen and click “Go.” (select for “a year and
      program” census 2000)
3. Highlight the “Census Tract” number in the box that appears and click OK. (NOTE: record the Census tract number someplace where you
      can find it. You’ll need it again for Week 6.)
4. Select tables DP-1, QT-H3 and QT-P11, along with any others that are of interest to you.
5. Print your results and attach them to your journal.

Take a look at the tables and describe the families who live in the neighborhood in which you are working. (You need not
     answer every one of the Table-related questions below in your journal, but please take a look at the data in the tables. Focus your
     response on the findings that interest you most and describe why they are of interest).

- Looking at Table DP-1, what is the percentage of children in the population? What is the racial/ethnic makeup of the community? What
      percentage of households is occupied by “nuclear” families (married-couple families with own children)? What about single mothers?
      Individuals? What is the average family size?

- Looking at Table QT-H3, are married families more likely to rent or own their places of residence? What about single householders? The
      elderly?

- Looking at Table QT-P11, what percentage of households has grandparents living with grandchildren? How common are non-related
      households? Are elderly householders living alone more likely to be male or female?

How do the data compare with the population actually served by your site (i.e., compare the census data with your
    observations of the site from Week Two)? How do they compare with what you’ve learned in class and from the
    readings about the changing structure and composition of contemporary families?
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
   Week Three Go to the Environmental Protection Agency’s homepage and look up data about the
   community in which you are working: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/commsearch.htm. Enter the zip
   code for your site’s address and explore the information in the various databases (“Envirofacts,”
   “EnviroMapper,” etc. Hint: when using the EnviroMapper database, select the “schools” feature and
   redraw the map.) What kinds of potential environmental hazards are located near your JEP
   site? How many and what kinds of EPA-regulated industries are nearby? Are they located primarily on
   major thoroughfares or in residential areas? Are there any other sources of pollution you can identify
   that are not measured by the EPA? Now, look up the same information for Beverly Hills (zip code:
   90210). (You might want to compare your own neighborhood where you grew up, too, just for fun.)
   How do the two communities compare to one another? What are the major differences in the
   number and distribution of environmental hazards in the two communities? How do you think residents
   might be affected by the sources of pollution in their communities?

   Week Four For last week’s journal, you learned about the sources and types of pollution in the local
    community and in the much wealthier community of Beverly Hills. Consider these findings in
    relation to the demographic characteristics of each community. Go to the Census Bureau’s
    website: http://factfinder.census.gov/ and enter the zip code for your JEP site in the “Fact Sheet” box.
    Take a look at the statistics in the chart that appears. Click on the map link next to “Total population”
    and zoom to the “7 miles across” level (the 4th red bar from the right). Print all of your results. Now, do
    the same for Beverly Hills (90210). As you might guess, there are many differences between the two
    communities. What are some of the starkest contrasts? How are the two populations similar? Looking
    at the maps you printed, compare and contrast the relative size and density of the two areas, as well as
    their relative proximity to major thoroughfares. Now, keeping your findings from this week and
    last in mind, consider the relationship between environmental issues, race and social class.
    Do you think the differences between the two communities are evidence of “environmental racism”?
    Why or why not?
   Mid-late semester assignments
    – Apply course concepts
    – Connect to historical and political contexts
      contexts
    – Designed to encourage more sophisticated
      understanding and critical thinking
    – Conclude with summative assignments that
      help students integrate their in- and out-of-
      class experiences from the entire semester
Week Four: Peace Games within the Context of Peace and
  Conflict Studies
 In the introduction to Rethinking Peace, scholars Elias and Turpin
  describe the development of peace studies over time. They note
  that during the 1970s peace studies “broadened . . . from the
  examination of war to the examination of other kinds of violence
  and injustice,” such as racism, sexism, and poverty (p. 7). In the
  1980s, the field further expanded to include the activist work of pro-
  peace organizations and the study of conflict resolution and
  mediation. According to Elias and Turpin, the future of peace
  studies should include more attention to social change, diversity and
  developing interdisciplinary approaches. Where and how does
  Peace Games fit within this historical framework? What are
  the goals of the program? How does it address issues such
  as injustice, activism, social change, and diversity?
                         Reflection
WEEK SIX – Institutional Inequality
 For the last few weeks, your course has focused on institutional
  forms of segregation and inequality. Drawing from the readings
  in Part VIII, explain how institutional inequality can affect
  the life chances of the student(s) you are working with at
  your JEP site. What institutional obstacles could they face in life?
  Is the presence of JEP at your school indicative of the institutional
  obstacles many students face in disadvantaged neighborhoods?
  What role can JEP play in breaking the cycle of institutional
  inequality? Be sure to briefly summarize how institutional
  segregation or inequality works.
                         Reflection
Week Six: Learning Language
 Pay attention to the grammatical and syntax errors made by the
  community student with whom you are working. Are there any
  patterns to these errors? For example, does the student leave
  out particular grammatical morphemes such as the plural or past
  tense? Are there any errors in sentence structure, such as failure to
  use correct “helping verbs” (e.g., is, have, etc.) or incorrect use of
  prepositions (e.g., saying “to” where the word should be “from”)?
  Can you identify other types of language errors? How are these
  errors consistent with the process of language acquisition?
  Might the errors be characteristic of someone whose native
  language is not English?
                        Reflection
WEEK EIGHT – Final Reflections
 Think back over the last eight weeks. How have your
  experiences at your JEP site and in the community in
  general helped you learn about the Californian Dream and
  Los Angeles? What have you learned about yourself? What kinds
  of stereotypes were challenged in the process for you, if any? How
  have your perceptions of Los Angeles, race and ethnic relations,
  gender, social inequality, human conflicts and power changed, if at
  all? (If you do not think your community experiences have shifted
  your thinking about any of these issues, please explain why.) How
  do you think that your presence at the JEP site benefits
  student-learning?
Reflection: Employs Multiple Modalities

 •   Graded, ungraded
 •   Oral, written
 •   Discussion (on-line, in-person)
 •   Team-based, individual service-learning
     projects and/or course assignments
 •   Independent assignments, cumulative
     projects
 •   Structured, unstructured
 •   Graded by peers vs. instructors
 •   Recurrent
    Learning Diversity
through Service-Learning
   Process oriented:
    – Feedback
        Scaffolding
        “Socratic Questions”
    – Evaluation
        Formative
        Summative
                      Learning Diversity
                  through Service-Learning



                                                                         Positive
                                                                         student
                                           Reflection                    outcomes
                            Service-
                                                                         regarding
                           learning                      Constructive
                                                                         diversity
                           assignments                  criticism,
 Students’                 that engage                  encouragement,
backgrounds    Preparing   difference                   feedback and
and            students    and diversity                evaluation
perspectives   for
               service-
               learning
               Challenges
 What does diversity have to do with the
  service-learning assignment for my
  Organic Chemistry course ?
 How do I develop service-learning that
  engage students with difference in rural
  New Hampshire?
               Susan C. Harris, Ph.D.
                 scharris@usc.edu
                 www.usc.edu/jep

                 Carol Brown, M.A.
                   ceb@usc.edu

Achieving Diversity through Service-Learning:
Practical Suggestions for Developing Curricula
       & Evaluating Diversity Outcomes

   Association of American Colleges & Universities
    Diversity, Learning, and Inclusive Excellence:
        Accelerating and Assessing Progress

                  Long Beach, CA
                 October 17, 2008