Call for Chapters: Cultural Dynamics and Tensions within Service-Learning

Title: Exploring Cultural Dynamics and Tensions within Service-Learning

Editors: Trae Stewart, Ph.D. (University of Central Florida) and Nicole Webster, Ph.D. (The Pennsylvania State University)

Interpersonal and group interactions inherently require negotiating between diverse cultural practices and ideologies. Although we navigate these differences with relative ease everyday, some instances result in more palpable cultural conflict which can create a barrier to the achievement of goals. Service-learning is no exception.

The literature on the impact of service-learning on participants' acceptance of diversity and development of open-mindedness reports mixed outcomes. Some scholars have found that a primary benefit from service-learning is the opportunity to work with and learn about people whose lives and identities are different from our own. In contrast, an equal number of scholars warn against the dangers of service-learning in reifying stereotypes and conflicts.

This interdisciplinary text will address diversity and cultural conflict in the practice of service-learning within K-12 and higher education. With this in mind, we aim to support a polyvocal approach to defining cultural conflict and discovering effective strategies for marshaling service-learning productively in courses and programs. Written to be accessible and useful to service-learning researchers and practitioners, the text will serve as a resource for all who are engaged in educating students to become active, culturally affirming, and critical participants in democratic societies.

We solicit submissions from a range of genres, including theoretical/conceptual pieces, position papers, case studies, and other traditional academic essays. Manuscripts that address the topic of cultural tensions in service-learning and that simultaneously focus on one or more of the following areas are most welcomed: theoretical, philosophical, historical, or methodological approaches to/reviews of culture and service-learning cultural impacts, assumptions, tensions, and/or conflicts related to the practice of service-learning (conscious or unconscious) pieces that include the following cultural variables - ability, religion, SES, gender, physical appearance, nationality, sexual orientation/identity, ethnicity, linguistic heritage, and health status the interplay of cultures in international or domestic service-learning programs psychosocial dynamics and outcomes connected to engagement in service-learning

Submission Procedure: Interested authors should email a 250 word abstract of their proposed chapter to nsw10@psu.edu by March 1, 2009. Invited authors will need to submit completed chapters of 5,000-7000 words (20-25 pages, including references, tables, and images) by August 15, 2009. We welcome questions about specific article ideas.
Inquiries and submissions should be forwarded electronically to: Nicole Webster, nsw10@psu.edu

Is Obama Missing the National Service Moment?

The following is an article posted by Steven Waldman on the Huffington Post

The Obama administration may be about to squander a historic opportunity. By all reports, the economic recovery plan doesn't include a large-scale national service program.

Franklin Roosevelt viewed the Civilian Conservation Corps as an essential part of the New Deal, and it became one of its most popular programs. It was, Roosevelt said, "killing two birds with one stone. We are clearly enhancing the value of our natural resources and second, we are relieving an appreciable amount of actual distress."

Too often, modern politicians have viewed national service as a lovely little "worthwhile program," certainly a swell idea but not something that trumps the critical business of saving the economy.

That's the wrong way of looking at it.

First, the current economic collapse affects not only the unemployed auto-worker but his 21-year old daughter just out of college and unable to find a job. The youth unemployment rate is now more than 20%. In hard times, applications to full-time community service programs increase, as other post-college options whither. Already, two out of three people who want to serve in AmeriCorps are being turned away from full time domestic service programs.

Second, these service workers can be a critical part of meeting Obama's recovery goals. National service members can work on permanent and cost effective national improvements such as energy efficiency or improving schools.

A major national service program would also boost the struggling charitable sector, which is facing its own economic catastrophe: in many places, need for services is rising as donations are falling. Full-time national service workers are an in-kind subsidy to the non-profit sector. Most AmeriCorps members do not work for the government, they work for charities like Habitat for Humanity or Red Cross, often helping to manage unpaid, occasional volunteers. Last year, 75,000 AmeriCorps members recruited more than 1.7 million volunteers, according to the Corporation for National Service. National service is a force-multiplier.

Most important, a national service program could help achieve another Obama campaign pledge that otherwise may prove too vague and ephemeral. He's talked about building bridges among Americans. That's nice but he can't do that just through speeches.

Common action breaks down barriers better than talk. Conservative churchgoers and secular liberals end up respecting the sincerity of each other's beliefs when they work together to feed the hungry. Race relations improve more when black, white and brown together save a drowning city than when they attend sensitivity workshops. Interfaith dialogue is less effective than interfaith house-building. And those from military families and those raised by, say, environmental activists will find mutual respect by working together to care for veterans or solve other critical problems.

In fact, the call for service shouldn't be limited to AmeriCorps. Imagine, for the first time ever, a national recruitment drive for all forms of service. Unlike past efforts, this significant recruitment effort - including YouTube videos, Facebook applications, mobile phones etc -- should call people to serve in the military, the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, senior corps, as well as private or faith-based service programs such as the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.

Oh, and by the standards of this economic recovery package, national service is dirt cheap. According to press reports, the economic recovery will cost around $800 billion and create 3 million jobs. By contrast, fielding a full-time AmeriCorps member costs the government somewhere between $11,000-$20,000 including an $4,725 educational scholarship, substantially cheaper than the infrastructure jobs.

So for a miniscule fraction of the recovery plan, we could field roughly 250,000 national service corps members (what Obama promised to do in the campaign, by the way). Add a few billion more, and wrap together military, overseas and private service, and Uncle Sam could finally make a simple, historic, transformative statement: "anyone who wants to serve their country or community in full time service - and then earn money for education - can do so."

A massive, voluntary national service program would accomplish both hard goals -- trees planted, houses weatherized etc -- but a soft goal as well: planting forever the idea in the minds of most young people (and many seniors) that one of the most fulfilling and useful things they could do is serve their nation for a year or two. We're in a crisis. Rather than the government just stepping in, shouldn't we be giving idealistic young people the chance to help solve problems?

This idea may not seem as concrete as a bridge project but in its own way it could be even more durable.

KAAYIA Award Now Accepting Applications

“The King Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Achievement (KAAYIA) began accepting applications on January 4 from young Arab leaders who are currently heading development efforts in the region. The KAAYIA will provide each of the winners with a $50,000 grant which will support the scaling up of a successful project, founded or co-founded by the award winner, that has demonstrated positive social impact. In addition, part of the grant will be allocated to education and training for award winners, in order to help them meet their specific learning needs as young leaders.

The KAAYIA seeks young leaders who are working to embody the concept of Active Citizenship: "a process that enables citizens to exercise both their rights and responsibilities in a balanced way, guided by moral and social responsibility, political literacy and community involvement." As explained on the KAAYIA website, "Active Citizenship amongst youth is expressed through the initiatives of individuals and groups in finding innovative solutions that contribute to social development through the skills of enquiry and communication, participation and responsible action."

Applicants should be between the ages of 18 to 29 and a citizen of an Arab country. In addition, they should have founded or co-founded an existing venture or project that has demonstrated a positive social impact within the local community over the last six months. The KAAYIA Award winner will be announced at the 2009 World Economic Forum.

Please visit kaayia.org for more information on the award, eligibility criteria, and instruction on how to apply.”