What Does a Marginalized Community Say About Its Experiences in a Two-Year, Service- Learning Project? Shanequa Smith [email protected]
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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2019 What Does A Marginalized Community Say About Its Experiences In A Two-Year, Service- Learning Project? Shanequa Smith [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Part of the Civic and Community Engagement Commons, Community-Based Research Commons, and the Urban Studies and Planning Commons Recommended Citation Smith, Shanequa, "What Does A Marginalized Community Say About Its Experiences In A Two-Year, Service-Learning Project?" (2019). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 3839. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/3839 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by The Research Repository @ WVU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. What Does A Marginalized Community Say About Its Experiences In A Two-Year, Service- Learning Project? Shanequa Smith Dissertation submitted To the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design At West Virginia University Doctor of Philosophy in Human and Community Development Peter V. Schaeffer, Ph.D., Chair Peter Butler, MLA Amena Oliver Anderson, Ph.D. Bradley Wilson, Ph.D. School of Design & Community Development Morgantown, West Virginia 2019 Keywords: community members, marginalized, service-learning, engagement, relational practices, voice of the community Copyright 2019 Shanequa Smith Abstract What Does A Marginalized Community Say About Its Experiences In A Two-Year, Service- Learning Project? Shanequa Smith Institutions of higher education are increasingly engaging with communities through service-learning projects to provide students with practice in their chosen fields and assistance to communities. By now, such efforts have been described in a growing body of literature. However, little has been reported on the perspectives and experiences of community members. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to capture and understand the perceptions and experiences of community members who participated in a two-year service-learning project, with the goal of sharing lessons to improve university-community engagement relationships and practices. A qualitative phenomenology approach, using semi-structured interviews, was the method used to gather data from individuals who participated in a two-year service learning project. Findings highlight the importance of a relational approach to engagement to establish clear expectations and limitations of the engagement between the university and community members. iii Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................ i Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ vii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii Acknowledgement ......................................................................................................................... ix Dedication Page ............................................................................................................................. xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 Context of the Study .................................................................................................................... 1 The Fostering Fairmont (FFP) Service-Learning Community Development Project ................. 3 Problem Statement ...................................................................................................................... 7 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................................... 7 Research Questions ..................................................................................................................... 7 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................................ 8 Overview of Methodology .......................................................................................................... 9 Researcher’s Statement ............................................................................................................. 10 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................... 12 What is service-learning? .......................................................................................................... 12 Purpose of Service-Learning. ................................................................................................ 13 Service-Learning’s Theoretical Foundations ......................................................................... 14 History of Service-Learning ...................................................................................................... 15 Service-Learning – Traditional Approach ............................................................................. 17 The evolution of the traditional approach. ......................................................................... 18 Service-learning as Engagement – The Critical Approach ................................................... 20 The evolution of the engagement approach. ...................................................................... 25 Service-Learning in Relationships – Postcritical / Relational Approach .............................. 26 Reflection. .......................................................................................................................... 28 Power. ................................................................................................................................ 29 The evolution to the relational approach. .......................................................................... 30 Systematic Injustices ................................................................................................................. 32 Marginalization ...................................................................................................................... 33 Internal racism ....................................................................................................................... 34 iv Trauma ................................................................................................................................... 34 Transformative .......................................................................................................................... 35 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 37 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................ 38 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 38 Philosophical Worldview .......................................................................................................... 40 Researcher’s Positionality ..................................................................................................... 42 Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 43 Selection of Participants ............................................................................................................ 43 Study Context ............................................................................................................................ 45 Data Collection .......................................................................................................................... 46 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 48 Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 49 Summary ................................................................................................................................... 50 CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS .............................................................................. 51 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 51 Presentation of Findings ............................................................................................................ 52 Analyzing Data .......................................................................................................................... 53 Background of WAC members ................................................................................................. 54 Background of WAC neighbors ................................................................................................ 55 Analytical Findings