An Expectation of Care: Flexible Emergence of Students’ Critical Consciousness in a CommunityBased Writing Project.
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| Title: | An Expectation of Care: Flexible Emergence of Students’ Critical Consciousness in a CommunityBased Writing Project. |
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| Authors: | Frey, Renea1, Gerding, Jeffrey2, Nichols, Ethan3, Stone, Danielle4 |
| Source: | Journal of Higher Education Outreach & Engagement. 2026, Vol. 30 Issue 1, p27-40. 14p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Service learning, *Learning, *Student development, Critical consciousness, Charity, Social justice, Solidarity |
| Abstract: | This study examines the development of critical consciousness in service-learning students at an institution emphasizing solidarity, kinship, and social justice. Building on Cipolle’s (2010) framework, which describes a progression from charity to caring to critical consciousness, we explore how students often embody multiple stages simultaneously. Our findings reveal that students express both charity and solidarity in the same reflections, indicating that the shift to critical consciousness is not linear. We propose the concept of flexible emergence, suggesting that students transition in and out of critical perspectives as they navigate prior experiences and biases. Rather than expecting students to fully abandon a charity mindset within a semester, we argue for an approach that acknowledges the fluidity of their development. By adopting this perspective, educators can better support students’ evolving understanding of service-learning as a tool for social justice, rather than viewing progress as a rigid or binary process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Higher Education Outreach & Engagement is the property of University of Georgia, Office of the Vice President for Public Service & Outreach and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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