The Undergraduate Community Service Experience: Changing Perceptions of Diversity
Previous research has documented many positive effects of community service on student learning. Although a few studies have discovered that community service increases student’s cultural awareness, little research has addressed concrete changes in students’ conceptualization of diversity. The curre...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The University of Alabama
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship |
| Online Access: | https://account.jces.ua.edu/index.php/s-j-jces/article/view/401 |
| _version_ | 1827856546596388864 |
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| author | Kay Yoon Donald R. Martin Alexandra Murphy |
| author_facet | Kay Yoon Donald R. Martin Alexandra Murphy |
| author_sort | Kay Yoon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous research has documented many positive effects of community service on student learning. Although a few studies have discovered that community service increases student’s cultural awareness, little research has addressed concrete changes in students’ conceptualization of diversity. The current study investigates how community service participation changes the complexity of students’ attitudes toward and perceptions of diversity. One hundred and six students participated in community service as a requirement for classes in Small Group Communication. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis of pre and post-community service surveys revealed that (1) community service significantly increased students’ level of comfort in interacting with populations different from their own, and (2) community service facilitated a shift of students’ conceptualization of diversity from simple categorical divisions to both similarity and difference as dynamic principles of identity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:27:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0ef5ca168e31424b8016a7b083a69471 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1944-1207 2837-8075 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:27:23Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | The University of Alabama |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship |
| spelling | doaj.art-0ef5ca168e31424b8016a7b083a694712023-08-29T20:58:38ZengThe University of AlabamaJournal of Community Engagement and Scholarship1944-12072837-80752022-08-014210.54656/ZAPC2416The Undergraduate Community Service Experience: Changing Perceptions of DiversityKay Yoon0Donald R. Martin1Alexandra Murphy2DePaul UniversityDePaul UniversityDePaul UniversityPrevious research has documented many positive effects of community service on student learning. Although a few studies have discovered that community service increases student’s cultural awareness, little research has addressed concrete changes in students’ conceptualization of diversity. The current study investigates how community service participation changes the complexity of students’ attitudes toward and perceptions of diversity. One hundred and six students participated in community service as a requirement for classes in Small Group Communication. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis of pre and post-community service surveys revealed that (1) community service significantly increased students’ level of comfort in interacting with populations different from their own, and (2) community service facilitated a shift of students’ conceptualization of diversity from simple categorical divisions to both similarity and difference as dynamic principles of identity.https://account.jces.ua.edu/index.php/s-j-jces/article/view/401 |
| spellingShingle | Kay Yoon Donald R. Martin Alexandra Murphy The Undergraduate Community Service Experience: Changing Perceptions of Diversity Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship |
| title | The Undergraduate Community Service Experience: Changing Perceptions of Diversity |
| title_full | The Undergraduate Community Service Experience: Changing Perceptions of Diversity |
| title_fullStr | The Undergraduate Community Service Experience: Changing Perceptions of Diversity |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Undergraduate Community Service Experience: Changing Perceptions of Diversity |
| title_short | The Undergraduate Community Service Experience: Changing Perceptions of Diversity |
| title_sort | undergraduate community service experience changing perceptions of diversity |
| url | https://account.jces.ua.edu/index.php/s-j-jces/article/view/401 |
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