Potential Abstract: In this study, we investigate the integration of pragmatist philosophical principles into service learning initiatives within the context of the postindustrial era. Drawing upon the works of pragmatist scholars such as John Dewey and Richard Rorty, we explore the implications of emphasizing experiential learning, critical reflection, and community engagement in service learning programs. We argue that a pragmatist approach to service learning can provide students with valuable opportunities to develop a deeper understanding of societal issues, cultivate empathy, and foster a sense of social responsibility.
Through a qualitative case study design, we examine the experiences of students participating in a service learning program that incorporates pragmatist principles. Data collection methods include participant observations, interviews, and document analysis. Our analysis focuses on how students engage with textual sources, such as academic literature, personal narratives, and community resources, to shape their learnings and reflections on their service experiences. We also explore the ways in which students negotiate tensions between individual growth and collective societal change in their service learning endeavors.
Our findings highlight the importance of acknowledging the complex interplay between textuality, experiential learning, and community engagement in service learning contexts. We identify key pedagogical strategies that educators can employ to facilitate meaningful interactions between textual sources and service experiences, fostering deeper critical thinking and ethical reasoning among students. By embracing a pragmatist perspective on service learning, educators can empower students to become active agents of social change and lifelong learners in the postindustrial society.
Potential References:
- Rearticulating civic engagement through cultural studies and service-learning
- Writing Partnerships: Service-Learning in Composition.
- The emergence of pragmatic philosophy’s influence on literary theory: Making meaning with texts from a transactional perspective
- Pragmatism as transition: Historicity and hope in James, Dewey, and Rorty
- Language is a form of experience: Reconciling classical pragmatism and neopragmatism
