Problematizing Service-Learning

Interest in and research on civic engagement and service-learning have increased exponentially. In this rapid growth,efforts have been made to institutionalize pedagogies of engagement across both K-12 and higher education. As a result,increased positive attention has been complemented equally by well-founded critiques complicating experientialapproaches' claims and questioning if institutional, financial, and philosophical commitment is warranted. A key complaintfrom these critical voices is the tightly woven, protective insular core in the field of service-learning. This claim isnot unfounded, nor necessarily bad. Initial efforts to legitimize service-learning and other forms of community-basededucation required group cohesion. The concern, however, is that the initial group cohesion has led to groupthinkwherein group members have avoided critical analysis and evaluation. This book aims to prevent groupthink within thefield of service-learning by allowing for the examination of effective alternatives by new voices who can serve as criticalevaluators from within the field itself.Myriad perspectives are offered, including empirical, theoretical, practical, and community perspectives. Authors challengepreconceived notions of service-learning, who is benefited by this pedagogy, outcomes of participation and implementation,and most importantly the theoretical, conceptual, and methodological lenses through which service-learning is even considered. The book allows servicelearning'smajor criticisms to be examined, challenges to be voiced, and research agendas to be laid.This book parallels service-learning's presence and popularity across various disciplines/fields. Chapters are written from broad perspectives and are aimed to informservice-learning researchers and educators, community organizations, and policy makers who consider service-learning as a means to address civic responsibility.Authors expose theoretical and philosophical concerns circulating in the field, and often still occupying spaces on the fringe of discourse, action, and research. The bookraises fundamental questions for undergraduate and graduate courses with social justice themes by considering the implications that pedagogies of engagement have onlearners and communities.