Experiencing diversity through service learning.

Abstract

Support for diversity education is growing rapidly within the criminal justice field. Changes in student demographics and pressures from criminal justice agencies have encouraged criminal justice programs to revise their curriculum. Service learning is a method through which an understanding of cultural diversity can be taught. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of service learning techniques to expose students to diversity.

Introduction

Support for diversity education is growing rapidly within criminal justice. Significant changes in student demographics, shifts in cultural values, and pressures from criminal justice agencies have encouraged criminal justice programs to revise their curriculum (Nielsen & Perry, 2000). As a result, universities around the country are adding courses on topics such as gender, race and ethnicity, and cultural diversity (Nielsen & Perry, 2000). Service learning is a method through which an understanding of cultural diversity can be taught. When done effectively, service learning can be a powerful learning experience. Moreover, it is a valuable teaching tool used to strengthen one's ability to work with others and to appreciate and understand social problems.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of service learning to expose students to diversity. This paper provides two different classroom examples of service learning approaches that expose students to difference. A review of the literature focuses on the positive impact of using service learning in the classroom.

The Study of Diversity

As criminal justice educators, we are presented with a significant challenge: to communicate an awareness of diversity in an effective and meaningful way (Barak, 1991). Incorporating cultural diversity within the criminal justice curriculum allows students to see in plural ways, so that they are not seeing through the lenses of any single culture, but understanding the relationship of cultures to each other (Barak, 1991). According to McTighe-Musil (2002), teaching students about diversity assists them to deal constructively with issues of differences and to develop respect for and become aware of the views, interactions, and contributions of various ethnic groups to U.S. society and culture. But how do we do this in the classroom? One effective method of exposing students to various cultures is through service learning activities.

Service Learning

A common definition of service learning has yet to emerge. One source defines service learning as an instructional methodology that encourages and facilitates student's involvement in settings where they can apply academic knowledge and previous experiences to meet community needs (Lersch, 1997). Another study describes service learning as a form of experiential learning where students and faculty collaborate with communities to address problems and issues, simultaneously gaining knowledge and skills and advancing personal development (Bounous, 1997). Whatever the definition used, when properly implemented, service learning projects enhance knowledge by extending the learning process beyond the classroom presentation (Lersch, 1997).

There are three basic components to effective service learning (Crews, 1995). First, there must be sufficient preparation. This includes setting objectives for skills to be learned and planning projects which contribute to the student's overall learning. The second component is simply to perform the service(s). The third component is for the student to analyze the experience and to draw lessons through such means as classroom discussion and reflective exercises of their work (Crews, 1995).

There are several benefits to service learning cited in the literature. National studies validate the claims that service-learning improves academic achievement (Giles& Eyler, 1994; Eyler et al., 1997). Students benefit from a more thorough understanding of the subject matter by actively participating in a thoughtfully organized service activity. Research suggests that students learn more from practical experience than from lectures and texts alone (Swanson et. al., 1997). Service learning gives students opportunities to explore things that they cannot learn from readings or classroom lectures (Situ, 1997) and increases the relevancy of education to the students. Further, participation in a service learning program can improve the interaction between faculty members and students. Several studies show that students engaged in service learning report stronger faculty relationships than those who are not involved in service learning (Eyler et. al., 1997; Giles & Eyler, 1994). This also promotes higher retention levels (Eyler et. al., 1997).

Service learning also provides for a connection of theory and practice. Students apply the principles and theories covered in the classroom to real problems and needs in the community and gain personal knowledge in the process. Students also gain a greater appreciation for theory because they can see their utility first hand (Eyler & Giles, 1999).

Students learn critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical skills (Eyler & Giles, 1999; Lersch, 1997; Situ, 1997). The practical experience stimulates students' higher-level thinking and improves their analytical ability (Situ, 1997). Students learn to collect and evaluate data and to relate seemingly unrelated matters and ideas (Brevard Community College, 1994).

Service learning helps teach positive values such as leadership, citizenship, and personal responsibility. It helps to develop a sense of caring and empathy and allows the student to engage in high quality service that has a real impact (Kraft & Krug, 1994). Students also typically feel a great sense of accomplishment, knowing that their work has actually benefited the community.

Service learning also fosters employment skills and job readiness. It provides them such skills as working cooperatively and collaboratively with others, to work under time constraints, and to participate in the solution of authentic problems.

Service learning projects enable professors and students to develop relationships with practitioners and to connect with the community (Swanson et. al., 1997). These relationships also increase university-community collaboration.

Finally, students learn to work with others by being exposed to people from different backgrounds, cultures, and ages. This interaction has a positive effect on reducing stereotyped thinking and facilitating a cultural and racial understanding (Corporation for National and Community Service Learning, 2000).

Service Learning Examples in Criminal Justice

Service learning, then, can be an effective tool at exposing students to different cultures and teaching them to appreciate difference. As stated above, this interaction aids in facilitating an understanding of cultural and racial diversity. Two examples of service learning activities used in this study are described below. The first example includes a service learning class, using students as mentors to previously incarcerated youth. The second example includes a traditional course, which uses service-learning activities throughout the semester.

AIM (Aftercare Through Indiana University Mentoring)

This is a hands on course involving students directly working with juvenile offenders being released from state-run correctional facilities. While most students work with youth once they have been released, students also have the option to mentor youth who are still locked up in a state-run correctional facility, preparing them for re-entry.

A service-learning course, it focuses on the limited resources available to assist these youth and the futility of correctional treatment if there is no follow-up when they return to their homes. Emphasis is on facilitating the successful transition of incarcerated youth back to the communities. The AIM Program fosters a structured mentor/mentee relationship between college students, incarcerated youth, as well as representatives from church groups, youth agencies, and community providers. The goal of the course/program is to reduce the recidivism rate among incarcerated youth by giving special attention to these youths' need for sustained relationships with adult mentors.

The first few weeks of the course are spent conducting an orientation of the program, reviewing guidelines for becoming a mentor, and completing criminal background checks. As part of the orientation, students are prepared to work with diverse groups. While IUN is an extremely diverse campus, and many of our students are comfortable in a diverse atmosphere, this does not necessarily mean that they understand and appreciate differences. As such, class exercises, orientation materials, site visits, and readings are all provided to the students prior to their engagement with a youth.

Before they are allowed to visit youth at the correctional facility (we work with Camp Summit, a boot camp for youthful males in Porter County), an orientation of the site and a tour is given. Finally, there are weekly readings. Select readings are extracted from Images of Color, Images of Crime (Mann & Zata, 1998), The Color of Justice (Walker et. al., 2000), and Investigating Difference (Northern Arizona University, 2000). By the third week of the class, students are assigned anywhere from one to three youth. An attempt is made to match students with youth who are geographically close to them, thus allowing for more frequent contact. As part of the course, students are expected to spend at least eight hours per week with their mentee.

During the semester, students engage in a host of activities with their youth(s). One of the objectives during the semester is to prioritize goals to be accomplished. These typically include the development of competencies necessary for the youth to be productive and independent. Examples include: increased education, housing, gainful employment, controlling anger, and peer group activity. Students in the course are responsible for completing weekly contact sheets, weekly progress reports, a case management plan, and 100 hours by the end of the semester.

Students engaged in service learning projects need to also practice the skill of reflecting about how the hands on experiences they are getting relate to the skills and content I want them to learn from the course. For this, students write weekly essays that must be based in part on a weekly reading and how their AIM experiences relate to these readings. How does this expose students to diversity? As indicated above, students participating in this class have the option to work with one of two populations: youth who are locked up in one of the state correctional facilities (again, we work with Camp Summit) or youth who have recently been released.

Based on a sample of 787 youth incarcerated at Camp Summit over a six month period (April 2003 through September 2003), the ethnic background of youth seen by IUN students are as follows: 42 percent African American, 51 percent Caucasian, and seven percent Other. Our students are also responsible for mentoring youth once they have been released. Our regional program is responsible for supervising youth from six surrounding counties. The ethnic breakdown of the community youth includes: 44 percent African American, 46 percent Caucasian, and 10 percent Other.

At the end of the semester, I ask the students to complete a one-sided questionnaire. Some of the questions involve the students' appreciation of cultural diversity and benefits of the class. Written comments from the students suggest that they enjoyed being with the youth, they appreciated the opportunity to work with youth of different backgrounds, they became more aware of problems others encounter, and they liked working with youth from urban environments. Student also indicated that the course provided them with skills that will assist them throughout their career, such as managing a caseload and preparing written case management plans. These results support many of the strengths of service learning highlighted in the literature.

Lake County Prosecutor's Community Prosecution Unit

The purpose of the Lake County Prosecutor's Community Prosecution Unit is to work with local residents in an effort to combat crime and improve the quality of life. Rather than dictating to the public how safety issues should be handled, community prosecutors ask the public for their support. In order to determine the needs of local residents regarding quality of life issues, students in my undergraduate research course have worked with the Community Prosecution Unit and the local police departments to conduct neighborhood surveys. Students knock on individual doors and survey the residents regarding topics such as graffiti, loud noises, guns, drugs, and homicides. The results of the surveys are published in a written report, which is distributed to representatives of the Prosecutor's Office and the local participating police department.

The question may again arise: How does this expose students to diversity? Pursuant to data collected for the survey, students surveyed residents that were diverse in terms of race, age, and lifestyle. For example, one of the neighborhoods surveyed (Columbia Housing Center, Hammond, Indiana) included a population of 49 percent African American, 41 percent Caucasian, 2 percent Hispanic, 2 percent American Indian, and 2 percent Other. Another neighborhood in Gary, Indiana was comprised of 90 percent African Americans.

If service learning is to be meaningful for both students and the community, the students' role must be challenging and must fulfill a need. The exercise described here resulted in a significant impact. According to a letter received from Tracy Lewis, Director of the Program: (T. Lewis, personal communication: letter, March 10, 2000):

   From the data you collected, we were able to create a nuisance
   abatement program to target problem houses in the neighborhood.
   Additionally, we were able to work with Community Oriented police
   officers to target drug houses. The results of your survey gave us
   a focus on how to best meet the needs of residents in our targeted
   areas.

The activities described in the above courses fulfill several needs of the communities and the students. Moreover, each also provides ample opportunities for the students to engage in interaction with diverse groups, whether employees, victims, offenders, or community residents.

Conclusion

Whether we are referring to the day-to-day court activity in the judicial system or analyzing the make-up of our prison population, discrimination and the lack of understanding diversity is enmeshed in our criminal justice system. While academic programs have progressed, it is still rare for criminal justice scholars to spend significant time examining difference (Wonders, 2000). Ignoring the fact that race and difference does really exist does little to help us explain to our students, why, for example, the majority of those incarcerated within the U.S. are people of color. Ultimately, the goal of studying difference within the criminal justice system is to ensure that we do not penalize people for the differences they exhibit.

It is the job of educators to teach students about protecting the rich diversity of groups that live within the U.S. and to guarantee that equality and justice is afforded to all (Wonders, 2000). Service learning represents one model of teaching students about diversity. In both classrooms examples described in this study, students were able to engage in activities that promoted interaction with diverse groups. This type of exposure cannot be obtained through classroom lecture alone.

References

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Beck, A.J. (2000). Prisoners in 1999. Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.

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Brevard Community College. (1994). The Power.

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Crews, R. (1995). What is Service Learning. University of Colorado at Boulder Service Learning Handbook. First Edition.

Ehrlich, T. (1996). Foreword. In Barbara Jacoby and Associates (ed.). Service Learning in Higher Education: Concepts and Practices, xi-xii. San Francisco, Ca: Jossey Bass Publishers.

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Swanson, C., K. King and N. Wolbert. (1997). Mentoring Juveniles in Adult Jail: An Example of Service Learning. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 8(2), 263-271.

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Wonders, N. (2000). Conceptualizing Difference. In Investigating Difference (pp. 1126). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Jacqueline M. Tullany, Indiana University Northwest

Mullany, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.