ERIC Number: EJ1029843
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 30
Abstractor: As Provided
Reference Count: 68
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1534-6102
The Impact of a Service-Learning Design Course on White Students' Racial Attitudes
Houshmand, Sara; Spanierman, Lisa B.; Beer, Amanda M.; Poteat, V. Paul; Lawson, Laura J.
Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, v18 n2 p19-48 2014
This study examined the racial attitudes of White undergraduates (N = 15) enrolled in a service-learning design studio, in which students worked closely on landscape architecture projects with residents in a low-income African American community. Using a modified consensual qualitative research method, the authors analyzed a series of guided inquiry questions at three time points and a focus group discussion at the end of the studio. This resulted in the identification of themes linked to three domains: students' hopes and expectations prior to the service-learning design studio; their experiences during the semester-long service-learning project, and their reflections about the service-learning project upon its completion. Although some participants claimed enhanced awareness of their social location, students continued to blame community members for their living conditions. These themes are discussed with regard to central concepts in multicultural psychology and education, such as racial color-blindness and White privilege, and implications for future research and multicultural service-learning courses are offered.
Descriptors: Racial Attitudes, Service Learning, White Students, Undergraduate Students, Studio Art, Design Crafts, Architecture, African American Community, Qualitative Research, Focus Groups, Expectation, Student Experience, Multicultural Education, Inquiry, Community Development, Student Surveys, Emotional Response, School Community Relationship, Reflection, Sensitivity Training, Learning Experience
Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, University of Georgia and the Institute of Higher Education. Treanor House, 1234 South Lumpkin Street, Athens, GA 30602. Tel: 706-542-6167; Fax: 706-542-6124; e-mail: jheoe@uga.edu; Web site: http://www.jheoe.uga.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Postsecondary Education; Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: Missouri

Peer reviewed
