ERIC Number: EJ979873
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Jan
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1049-0965
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Engaging the Reluctant? Service Learning, Interpersonal Contact, and Attitudes toward Homeless Individuals
Knecht, Thomas; Martinez, Lisa M.
PS: Political Science and Politics, v45 n1 p106-111 Jan 2012
This article examines the extent to which service-learning courses affect students' attitudes and opinions. Elsewhere, we used a pre/postsurvey field experiment to demonstrate that volunteering with a homeless person tends to erode the stereotypes held by the domiciled--a confirmation of the venerable contact hypothesis. Here we use the same research design to assess whether students in service-learning courses exhibit a similar type of opinion change after spending a day with a homeless person. We find that even with limited contact a significant number of service-learning students came away from their time with homeless individuals holding fewer stereotypes and with a more nuanced perspective on the causes and consequences of homelessness. Nevertheless, working with a homeless person did have a negative effect on some students and contact generally failed to change students' views on public policy.
Descriptors: Service Learning, Interpersonal Relationship, Social Attitudes, Homeless People, Learner Engagement, Student Attitudes, Opinions, Pretests Posttests, Student Volunteers, Attitude Change, Stereotypes, Sensitivity Training, Political Science, Familiarity
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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